


Half the World Away

by HaughtScot



Series: Half the World Away [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: AU, Dancer Waverly, Eventual Smut, F/F, Festival, First Meeting, Fluff, I didn’t know there would be this much fluff, Student Nicole, They’re both a bit hopeless, WayHaught in Scotland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-13 00:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17477843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaughtScot/pseuds/HaughtScot
Summary: Waverly is a dancer, visiting Edinburgh for a show at the Festival. The first person she meets is a red-headed student/tour guide called Nicole... Maybe she’ll show her all around Edinburgh... and more!





	1. It’s the hair, isn’t it?

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea I haven’t been able to get out of my head for ages, based solely on the fact that I travel to Edinburgh Waverley station every day and always think of the show! I started thinking about WayHaught in Edinburgh and this is the result...
> 
> My first writing in years, and my first foray in this fandom, so let’s see how this goes...

The noise. That was the first thing Waverly noticed as she hauled her large suitcase from the bus and set foot on the busy street. The engines of the buses and cabs that rumbled by, the clanging bell of an approaching tram, the variety of accents and dialects of the crowds of people that passed her on the wide pavement. Even... was that... bagpipes? Less than a minute on an Edinburgh street and she was already hearing bagpipes. 

Taking a moment to try to get her bearings, Waverly adjusted the straps of the massive rucksack on her back and took a look around. Bright sunlight reflected on the glass shopfronts lining one side of the street, but the view across the busy road captured her attention and almost took her breath away. Rising high above the gardens below, perched on a craggy hill, stood the castle, silhouetted starkly against the cloudless blue sky.

Through the fog of travelling, tiredness and hunger, Waverly felt the bubbling up of excitement of being so far from home, somewhere so different. She was awakened from her reverie when someone bumped her as they passed, and she realised she should start moving. She’d received no answer when she called ahead from the airport, so pulling out her phone, she typed the address she’d saved into Google maps and started to follow the blue line on the screen. 

Her attention was so focused on the sights around her, staring up at the jagged outline of an intricately carved monument, that she didn’t realise until she reached it that her phone screen had gone blank. She tried in vain to bring it back to life, hoping against hope that she hadn’t completely drained the battery listening to music on the flight. Sighing, she propped her suitcase up and swept her hair back from her face as she pondered her next move. She had the address written down so she could get a cab, but where would she find one? The bridge she found herself on was lined on one side with an abundance of tour buses but the only black cabs she saw were already occupied. Deciding she’d have to ask for help, she scanned the people around her and her eyes alighted on a red-haired woman who looked around her age, perched on the arm of a bench gazing at her phone. Taking a deep breath, Waverly approached her, cleared her throat and said hesitantly, “Uh, excuse me? I was wondering if you could help me?”  
Looking up in surprise, the other woman replied, “Hmm? Oh hey, sure. How can I help you?”

Taken aback at hearing an accent not dissimilar to her own, Waverly said, “Oh sorry, I didn’t realise you were... I mean, I thought you... were... from here.”

“It’s the red hair, right? Bit stereotypical” she smiled, then added “Just kidding. I do live here though so I probably can help you.”

“Oh, thank you. I’ve just arrived here and I have no idea where to go and my phone battery died, I don’t know where I’m staying and didn’t know where to get a cab, and I’m really rambling, sorry...” she finished breathlessly.

The redhead smiled again, deepening the dimples Waverly was trying not to stare at, and said, “It’s fine, I know the feeling. So where do you need to go?”

Waverly dug her travel wallet out of a pocket of her rucksack, pulled out a sheet of paper and read aloud, “Buck... erm, Buckle...”

“Buccleuch Street?”

“I think so, I guess I need to learn how to say that. Is it nearby?”

“It’s not far, about fifteen minutes’ walk. In fact, I’m heading that way so I could show you the way if you like?” she offered.

“Oh no, that’s okay, you don’t have to do that, if you just point me in the right direction that would be great,” Waverly rushed out.

“I really don’t mind. I actually live near there and I was heading home anyway. It would be no trouble.”

“Well, if it’s really no trouble, thank you. I’m a bit frazzled, I might not even be able to follow directions right now,” Waverly attempted to joke. 

“I definitely have to help then, we couldn’t have you getting lost. Can I help you with your bags? You’re a bit weighed down there.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that, you’re already helping me...” Waverly tailed off as the woman in front of her stood up from the bench to her full height, a good four inches taller than her.

“You didn’t ask, I offered so that’s fine. I’ll take your case” she said, reaching out her hand to take the handle. “I’m Nicole by the way.”

“Uh, nice to meet you, I’m Waverly.”

Nicole quirked an eyebrow and said, “We’re doing fake names, huh? You could have come up with something better at least.”

Waverly wrinkled her brow in confusion and asked, “Fake names? What do you mean?”

Nicole lifted her hand and pointed to the train station across the road; the large sign above the entrance read Edinburgh Waverley. 

“Oh! Oh no, my name really is Waverly. I had no idea, I didn’t even see that,” she rushed to explain.

“Really? Well, what are the chances? Meeting a Waverly on Waverley Bridge, outside Waverley Station,” Nicole grinned, her warm brown eyes sparkling.

“Maybe it was meant to be,” Waverly replied, then felt her face flush. Nicole just smiled at her again, and asked “So Really Waverly, shall we?”

“Lead the way. Literally please, since I have no idea where I’m going.” As they headed off the bridge, Waverly asked, “So what’s with the bridge and the station stealing my name?”

“Oh, is that what’s going on here? It’s from an early 19th century novel so if it’s stolen from you, you’re wearing well for your age,” Nicole laughed.

“Okay, fair enough, it’s more likely to have come from that. First historical novel, right?”

“I’m impressed. If you’re interested in Walter Scott, that monument back there is dedicated to him.”

“I don’t really know anything about him, maybe I’ll visit the monument when I’m here.”

They were silent for a moment as they crossed a road and Nicole began leading them up a steep, winding, cobbled street, lined on both sides with colourful shopfronts and restaurants. 

“First time in Edinburgh?” Nicole asked, noticing Waverly gazing round in wonder.

“First time anywhere really. Is it obvious?”

“I’ve seen that look before. There’s a lot to take in when you get here. If you don’t mind me asking, what brings you here?”

“I’m here for the Festival, I’m in a show.”

“Oh wow, that’s cool. What kind of show?”

“Dance. I study dance back in Toronto and I was lucky enough to be picked for the Festival show this year. I really, really wanted to come, it’s a big deal for us and I want to travel and this way I get to do it all-“ Waverly stopped short, realising she was rambling again. She glanced up at Nicole, who was looking at her with soft eyes and that dimpled smile.

“That sounds awesome. You must be a great dancer to picked for something like this. What kind of dance is it?”

“It’s ballet based but with a contemporary spin, so elements of modern, hip hop, that kind of thing.”

“I think I’d like to see that, maybe I’ll check it out. So where are the other dancers?”

“They got here yesterday, I had to tie up some things at home. I think they’re already rehearsing today, our first show is in a couple of days. We’re here for almost a month.”

“You’ll have plenty of time for exploring then. So you’re from Toronto? Me too. Well, not too far from there.”

“I’m not actually from there but I’ve lived there for three years for school. How long have you been in Edinburgh?” Waverly asked, aware the conversation so far had all been about her.

“Four years, I came here to study and I just graduated last month. I pretty much fell in love with it here.”

“You studied here? That’s so cool. What did you do?”

“Geosciences. Actually, we’re coming up to my university just now.” Nicole pointed to the domed building rising in front of them, and before she could stop herself, Waverly said quietly, “Hogwarts.”

“It is a bit, but maybe even older,” Nicole laughed, and Waverly relaxed again, no longer worried she’d said something silly. They continued to chat easily as they walked, Nicole pointing out the occasional place of interest, including her favourite coffee shop. 

“You’ve certainly picked up a lot of local knowledge in your time here, you seem to know it all really well,” Waverly remarked when Nicole pointed out another old building.

“I’ve actually been working as a tour guide for a couple of years too, so I’ve had to learn all the stories. I hope I’m not boring you with them,” she replied, looking a bit unsure.

“Oh no, not at all!” Waverly rushed to reassure her, putting a hand on her arm. They both looked down at her hand and she brought it back to her side awkwardly then cleared her throat and said, “So a tour guide huh? That must be interesting? And busy?”

“At this time of year, for sure. The city gets crazy busy around the Festival, as you’ll find out. I do walking tours, mostly historical, and I do ghost walks at night too.”

“I know where to come to see the sights then,” she smiled up at Nicole, and felt her face flush again when she grinned back at her. What’s going on, she thought to herself. This girl I’ve just met smiles at me and I can’t do anything but blush. The tiredness must be making me delirious...

In just a few minutes they’d arrived at a red-painted door, the number Waverly had been given. The flat was in a tenement building, above a bookshop and overlooking a vast green space Nicole had already mentioned was called The Meadows.

“Looks like this is it. Great location, and this bookshop is awesome, it’s one of my favourites. The Meadows is great too, I run round there most mornings and I play tennis at the courts there sometimes too,” Nicole seemed to have caught Waverly’s rambling bug as the time came to part.

“It all looks great, I think they’ve picked a good place for us to stay. Apart from it being on the top floor,” Waverly groaned, thinking about hauling her bags up those stairs.

“Is someone in to meet you? Do you have a key?” 

“Yeah, some of the other girls are there, I’ll get them to help me. Uh, well, thank you so much for helping me, I really appreciate it,” she said awkwardly, not sure what happened now.

“You’re very welcome Really Waverly, it was great to meet you. I’ll maybe see you around, since we’re nearby,” Nicole smiled.

“Maybe you will, since I now know the best place to get coffee too.”

“You sure do. Well, I’ll let you get inside. Good luck with everything,” Nicole said, backing away and lifting her hand in a small wave.

Waverly watched as she turned around, then took a deep breath and called, “Nicole?”

She turned and walked back towards her, saying, “Yeah?”

“Er, would you, uh, would you like to come to our show? I could get you a ticket. You know, to say thank you,” Waverly asked hesitantly, looking anywhere but at the redhead in front of her. When she finally met her eye, Nicole was flashing that wide grin again. “I’d love to Waverly, thank you.”

“Oh great! Um, I don’t know when works for you, our show is on most days at 5pm but I’ll have to find out about getting tickets.”

“Well, I could give you my number and then you can let me know?” Nicole suggested, and Waverly couldn’t stop her smile at Nicole offering her number.

“Great! Oh shoot, my phone is dead.”

“Okay, put your number in mine instead and I’ll text you so you have my number,” Nicole took her phone from her pocket, opened a new contact and handed it over to Waverly, who quickly entered her number and handed it back. 

With a final goodbye, Nicole started walking away and after watching for a moment, Waverly turned back to the door and pressed the button next to the right number. A moment later, she was being ushered inside by Chrissy, her best friend from school, taking her case to help her up four flights of stairs, chattering non-stop about what they’d already done since arriving the day before.

As soon as they were inside the front door of the flat, Chrissy dropped her case, took her rucksack to dump next to it and grabbed her by the hand to show her around the spacious, high-ceiling flat. They were sharing with four other dancers, two to a bedroom, and Waverly immediately felt comfortable in the space.

“So where’s everyone else?” she asked, as they were putting her things in the room she was to share with Chrissy.

“Still rehearsing. I got away early to meet you, but it’s almost 4pm so they’ll all be back soon, and we’re all going for dinner tonight.”

“I hope I last that long, I’m exhausted. Starving too though, and I need a shower.”

“Well, you can do something about the last one. A shower and fresh clothes, and you’ll be all set for tonight.”

Chrissy left the room as she searched through her bag firstly for a phone charger to plug her phone in, then to gather her toiletries and fresh clothes. Before she headed to the bathroom, she picked up her phone and her heart skipped as she saw the message from an unknown number:

**Hey Waverly (if that’s your real name), hope you made it up those stairs! See you soon? Nicole :)**

She thought for a minute before typing out a reply:

**I made it, it’s great! Thanks again for the warm welcome to Edinburgh. Definitely soon :) ******

Putting her phone back down, she thought to herself that this was not how she expected her first day to go, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she left the bedroom. 


	2. I’m in Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly meet again and share a little of their back stories. Also, Nicole watches Waverly dance (spoiler: she’s a fan).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of WayHaught in Edinburgh! This one is from Nicole’s POV; each chapter from now on will switch between the two (probably). This is a little longer and more dialogue heavy than I intended, but it got away from me a little.
> 
> This was mostly completed on the Notes app on a busy train, so please excuse any glaring errors...

Nicole Haught wasn’t an impatient women, nor one who often suffered from self-doubt, but in the two days since Waverly Earp had asked her for directions, she’d experienced bouts of both. After an initial few texts, conversation had been non-existent, and Nicole tried to convince herself that Waverly was busy with settling in, getting over her jet lag and, of course, rehearsals. That didn’t stop her from wondering whether she’d come on too strong, whether she’d made Waverly uncomfortable, whether Waverly was even remotely interested in her, or in women in general. For someone she’d spent no more than half an hour with, Waverly sure was occupying a lot of her thoughts...

This all contributed to Nicole pushing herself extra hard during her morning run, completing three laps of The Meadows instead of two. As she trudged upstairs to her flat, wiping the sweat from her face with the back of her hand, she pulled her phone from her pocket and stopped in her tracks as she saw a new message from Waverly lighting up the screen.

**Good morning :) Sorry it’s taken so long to get back to you, things have been crazy - first show tonight! I can get you a ticket for one day this week if you’d still like to come?**

Nicole couldn’t stop the grin spreading across her face as she fumbled to open her door with one hand as she typed out a reply.

**Hey Waverly :) I would definitely still like to come this week. Why don’t we meet for a coffee tomorrow and we can work it out?**

When she read it back after sending, Nicole realised how keen she sounded but shrugged it off; playing it cool wasn’t really her thing anyway. After twenty minutes with no reply, she was beginning to rethink this position when her phone lit up again.

**Sounds good! You can introduce me to your favourite place? 11am good?**

**Cafe Press at 11 it is. Good luck with the show tonight, look forward to hearing all about it tomorrow :)**

With a lightness in her step despite her aching muscles, Nicole moved through her flat, collecting fresh clothes for the rest of the day. She chose not to read too much into the fact that her shower repertoire that morning featured more love songs than usual...

10am the following morning saw Nicole standing in front of her old oak wardrobe, trying to decide on the perfect casual coffee sort-of date outfit. As often as she’d told herself that it was just a coffee with a girl she barely knew, Nicole couldn’t help building it up in her head to something more. 

Deciding to take advantage of the warmer than usual weather, she finally selected a pair of denim shorts and a sleeveless top. Once she’d quickly dried her hair, leaving it loose to fall to her shoulders in waves, she slid her feet into a pair of red Converse and threw on a plaid shirt as she headed out the door. 

In her eagerness, she was almost ten minutes early as she walked into her favourite coffee shop and joined the short line at the counter.

“Hey Nicole, the usual for you?” the young man serving asked when it was her turn.

“Yes please, but I’ll take a large today, and I’m sitting in,” she smiled in response, handing over the cash before taking a seat at a table near the door.

Her Americano arrived on the table just before Waverly walked in, looking around before spotting Nicole and heading over. Nicole felt her heart rate speed up as she realised Waverly was even more attractive than she remembered, dressed in leggings and a loose cotton top, hanging just so off one shoulder. She stood up to greet her and, not knowing what else to do, raised her hand in an awkward wave.

“Hey, I hope you’ve not been waiting too long?”

“Oh no, I got here a bit early. What would you like to drink? The coffee here is excellent.”

“Um, an Americano would be great, thanks.”

“Good choice. Something to eat? They have some cakes and pastries too,” Nicole couldn’t seem to stop talking, or looking at Waverly.

“Is there anything vegan?”

“Oh, you’re vegan? I think there’s vegan brownies. Sorry, I should have asked, we could have gone somewhere else,” Nicole apologised.

“Don’t be silly, if there’s brownies I’ll take one but if not, just coffee is great,” Waverly gave her a reassuring smile.

While Nicole was at the counter placing the order for coffee and brownies, she also gave herself a talking to, telling herself to calm down and try to relax. Back at the table, she asked Waverly about the first night of the show and gradually relaxed as the other woman launched into a excited story recounting what had happened. 

“I’m glad to have the first night done and dusted, another couple of shows and I think it’ll be at its best,” Waverly finished her story.

“So I should wait a few nights before coming along?” Nicole asked.

“You can come whenever you like. We have a show every weekday, so just let me know.”

“How about Friday? You’ll have three more shows by then so it should be perfect,” Nicole smiled, then with a burst of confidence, added, “And since you won’t have a show the next day, we could have dinner after? I know a vegan Indian restaurant nearby.”

“I haven’t really had a chance to go anywhere yet so I would like that.” 

They smiled at each other and lapsed into silence for a moment before Waverly spoke up, “I hope I don’t get too nervous when you’re there, I don’t often have people come to see me. I mean, not that you’ll be there just to see me, I know you’re coming to see the show...” 

Trying to spare her the awkwardness that had obviously come over her, Nicole quickly replied, “I’m really looking forward to seeing you, and I know you’ll be great.”

Waverly smiled gratefully. “Thank you. Back home, my family are too far away to come to shows, and it was never really my boyfriend’s thing.”

There it was. Boyfriend. Nicole worked hard to keep her expression neutral despite her stomach sinking to somewhere near her toes.

“Really? That’s a shame. I’ll make sure to cheer extra loud for you.”

“I should say ex-boyfriend. Part of the reason we broke up, actually, he was always more interested in himself than anything I was doing. Sorry, you don’t want to hear any of this,” Waverly shook her head, looking down at the table, embarrassed.

Impulsively, Nicole reached across and touched her hand. “I want to hear everything you have to say, Waverly.”

She looked up again and smiled, taking a shaky breath before saying, “I think that’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”

It hurt Nicole to realise that something so simple seemed to mean so much to her. Had no-one ever wanted to listen to her before? Before she could respond, Waverly shook her head a little and said lightly, “Enough about me. Geosciences, huh? Rocks and stuff?”

Nicole had heard that question time and again and it usually bugged her, but accompanied by Waverly’s bright smile, she could only laugh. “That about sums it up, yeah. This is a great place to study, as you put it, rocks and stuff.”

“Why? I’m sure I’ve seen some big rocks in Canada, too,” she teased.

“Lots of reasons. Have you seen Arthur’s Seat?”

“Big rocky hill? It’s hard to miss even when you’ve only been here a couple of days.”

“Well, the hill itself and the area around it contributed a lot to the ideas of modern geology. In fact, James Hutton-“ Nicole stopped herself with a self-deprecating laugh. “And I’ll stop there before I bore you to death. Suffice to say, these rocks are important.”

“It’s not boring at all, I love to listen to people talk about their passion,” Waverly reassured her. They continued to chat easily, trading stories and sharing snippets of their lives, before Nicole realised she only had an hour before her first tour of the day. 

As she walked Waverly back to her flat, she mentioned that she was leading a ghost tour that evening, and Waverly piped up, “Chrissy is desperate to do one of those, she loves that stuff.”

“Why don’t you both come on one of mine? I think they’re mostly booked for the next couple of days, but Saturday night should be okay?”

“Great! Chrissy will be so excited. As long as it’s not too scary...”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Nicole smiled down at her.

“I’m counting on it. So, I’ll see you on Friday?” Waverly said as they stopped outside her building.

Nicole nodded, trying to decide if it was acceptable to give the smaller woman a hug goodbye, when Waverly took the decision from her by grabbing her hand and going up on her toes to kiss her cheek. Before Nicole had a chance to respond, Waverly had disappeared inside with an airy “Bye!” thrown over her shoulder. 

Nicole stood where she was for a second before turning to head back the way she came, muttering to herself, “I am in so much trouble.”

For the second time that week, Nicole was hovering in front of her wardrobe, searching for something to wear. What does one wear to a contemporary hip-hop street ballet show? And what might impress possibly the most beautiful woman she’s ever seen? A woman who, despite the slightly flirty texts they’d been exchanging, was most probably straight, and only going to be around for three weeks anyway? 

Sighing, she grabbed her black skinny ankle grazer jeans and a plain white blouse, along with her favourite black and white brogues. She was just putting the finishing touches to her make up when she heard the front door of the flat rattle and creak open. Before she had a chance to call out, a large golden blur shot into her room and jumped at her.

“Whoa Rory, calm down,” she laughed, pushing the golden retriever away then kneeling on the floor to scratch his ears. A voice called out, “Are you decent, Haught?” 

“Luckily, since your dog just about flattened me.”

A tall young man with a mop of sandy hair and a broad grin stepped into her room and said, “Did you miss me?”

“Not at all, I’ve had peace for two weeks. I didn’t know you were coming back today?”

“Ah, you love me really. I thought it was time to come back and grace you with my presence. Just in time for a hot date, it seems,” he smirked, indicating Nicole’s outfit.

“Hardly. I’d ask how your trip was, but really, I’ve got better things to do,” she smiled sweetly at her flatmate. She’d lived with Cameron - and his dog - for two years and they were close, despite the almost constant teasing on both parts. 

Just before she left, she slipped on a dark green blazer and went into the kitchen to say goodbye to Cameron. 

“The green jacket? It’s definitely a hot date,” he teased.

“Cut it out Cam, I’m just going to a show. I met someone last week who’s dancing in it, that’s all.”

“A dancer? Nice work, Haught! I won’t wait up tonight,” he said with an exaggerated wink and a raised eyebrow.  
“I’m so glad you’re home,” she said drily, turning on her heel and heading out.

Twenty minutes later, she had taken her seat near the back of the small theatre, feeling strangely anxious. She felt a bit awkward being on her own, and tried to keep her attention focused on the stage until the lights went down and the low buzz of talking died out.

Nicole would be the first to admit that she knew next to nothing about dance, but she was pretty sure that Waverly was magnificent. Even in the background, she shone. She possessed a magnetism that had Nicole constantly searching her out on stage, no matter how much she tried to concentrate on the group as a whole. When it came to Waverly’s solo number, towards the end of the show, Nicole was utterly entranced. So lithe and strong in her movements, Nicole could feel every ounce of passion radiating from her; how could so much power be packed into that small frame? As the dance ended and the applause rang out, Nicole let out the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding, and silently mouthed,

“Wow”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed :)


	3. Do you always think of everything?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole spend some more time together, learn more about each other and make some plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Waverly’s POV for this one, and I got a bit carried away again... too hard not to when WayHaught are spending lots of time together!  
> All of the places mentioned in this chapter are real, I may have imposed some of my favourite places on Nicole....

Waverly usually liked to take her time to gather herself after a show, working through sets of stretches and breathing exercises to come down from the adrenaline high, but this time she couldn’t get ready quickly enough. She had caught a glimpse of Nicole in the audience during the curtain call and was anxious to get to her, full of nervous excitement to find out what she’d thought.

After a token stretch, she wound her hair into a loose bun and changed quickly into her jeans and a cropped sweater, before she headed out to the foyer. She spotted Nicole easily amongst the few stragglers, her height and red hair making her stand out, and her face broke into that dimpled smile, the one that Waverly couldn’t stop thinking about, when she saw her approach.

Nicole pushed herself off the wall she was leaning against and closed the distance between them. The first words out of her mouth were, “You are a star.”

“Oh please,” Waverly could feel her face flush, more with pleasure than embarrassment.

“It’s true, you were awesome. I loved the show.”

“Yeah? Thank you. I didn’t know if it would be your thing.”

“Oh, I think that’s everyone’s thing. Really though Waverly, it was amazing. You were the best, of course,” Nicole smiled with a wink.

“I’m sure the other rest of the girls would have something to say about that, but thank you,” Waverly laughed.

“I’ll spend dinner convincing you of the fact if you like. Are you ready to go?”

“I think so. Is this okay for where we’re going?” she asked, indicating her outfit.

“You look perfect,” Nicole smiled, then looked a bit flustered, continuing, “So, uh, shall we?”

Ten minutes later, they were taking their seats in a small, busy Indian restaurant, full of low chatter and delicious aromas. After they’d ordered a selection of dishes - Waverly was always ravenous after a show - and the waiter had brought them ice cold bottles of Cobra, they settled into an easy conversation about the show and Waverly’s fellow dancers. While Waverly was well-liked and got along fine with the other girls, she really only considered Chrissy a true friend. 

“So tell me, how did you end up studying dance?” Nicole asked, leaning slightly towards her.

“It’s not a very interesting story, I just always loved dancing and it turned out I was quite good at it,” Waverly tried to brush off the question, sure Nicole was just being polite by asking.

“I’m sure there’s an interesting story behind something you have a passion for. I really would like to hear it,” Nicole assured her.

“Well, without getting too deep about it, dance was my escape growing up. My childhood... wasn’t always great. I had a tough time and didn’t ever really feel like I fit anywhere, but when I danced, I truly felt, and still feel, like myself. Just Waverly, not who anyone else thought I was or wanted me to be,” she finished, looking intently at the condensation running down her beer bottle. 

When she forced herself to look up, Nicole was looking at her with the kindest eyes she thought she’d ever seen. To break the silence, she forced a laugh, “Cheesy, right?”

“Not at all. I think I get it. And I’m sorry you didn’t have the best time growing up.”

“It wasn’t all bad. Once I went to live with my aunt and uncle, things got a lot better for me. Tonight’s not the night for tragic childhood stories though,” she tried to put a stop to the topic of conversation.

“Of course, whatever you want.” There was that smile again.

They continued to talk through the meal, Waverly learning that Nicole had first found the restaurant after becoming a vegetarian. She asked Waverly lots of questions about being vegan, telling her that she was keen to try it herself, as soon as she found some good vegan cheese. She mentioned a Cameron a few times, how he’d come home that afternoon, and finally Waverly couldn’t stop herself from asking, “So, is Cameron... your boyfriend?”

Nicole had just taken what turned out to be an ill-timed sip of her beer, when she almost choked at Waverly’s question. It took a minute or two of alternating between coughing and laughing before she’d collected herself enough to speak again, by which time Waverly was frowning at her, an annoyed furrow between her eyebrows.

“Okay, you don’t need to laugh at me that much,” she said quietly, dropping her hands to her lap.

“Oh Waverly, I’m sorry,” Nicole apologised immediately, reaching her hand across the table, “I’m not laughing at you, just at the idea of Cam being my boyfriend. He’s the furthest thing from that.”

“You could just have said that to start with.”

“I didn’t know you’d think that, I just thought you knew... that I’m gay,” she said softly, leaving her hand where it was on Waverly’s side of the table.

Waverly had known, really. Or was pretty certain at least. “Well, I kinda thought so, but I didn’t want to assume...”

“I guess I forget that not everyone knows. That okay?” Nicole asked, a hint of doubt flashing across her face. Better than okay, Waverley thought, but aloud all she said was, “Of course.”

“Well, now we’ve settled that, we should probably head out, looks like there’s people waiting for the table.” After a brief disagreement about who should pay, which Nicole won, they found themselves out on the street. 

Waverly spoke first. “So what now? I mean, can I buy you a drink?”

“I won’t say no to that. There’s a place just up here I like, The Southern, if you’d like to try it?”

“Sounds good to me,” Waverly smiled up at her.

Soon they were at the bar, making their selections from the huge array of beers on tap, when there came a shout of “Hey, Haught!” 

Waverly looked at Nicole, who closed her eyes and sighed, “Oh, balls.” 

“Friend of yours?” Waverly asked. 

Without turning around to locate the voice, she replied, “That is Cameron. And he’s probably with a bunch of friends.”

“Do you not want to see them?”

“I’m not sure I should put you through that. If you don’t want to hang out with them, we can sit somewhere else. Or drink these and go,” Nicole offered as their drinks arrived in front of them.

“No, I’d like to meet them. I’m sure they’re not that bad,” she replied, then followed Nicole over to a booth filled with young people. After some moving around, they both had seats, Waverly in between Nicole and Cameron. She quickly found out the others were friends from school, and one of the women, Rachel, worked with Nicole as a tour guide. 

Despite Nicole’s warning, Waverly warmed to the group straight away, they were friendly and boisterous, and although there was plenty of teasing, it was all light-hearted. Much of the teasing was aimed at Nicole, with Rachel telling Waverly, “You know that Nic is by far our most successful guide?”  
“Is that right? Why is that?” Waverly asked. 

Before Rachel could reply, Nicole jumped in and said, “My extensive knowledge and charming personality, of course.” 

“Sure. It’s nothing to do with flashing the dimples and waiting for the tips and phone numbers to come your way,” Rachel laughed.

When the attention had moved elsewhere, Nicole leaned closer to Waverly and said, “I don’t really do that, by the way.”

“Do what?”

“Collect phone numbers like that.” Waverly smiled in response to her serious expression; it seemed important to her.

“Okay, I believe you,” she whispered, patting her thigh gently.

They stayed for an hour or so, Waverly joining in with most of the increasingly noisy conversations, but equally content to sit back and watch Nicole with her friends. They were sitting perhaps closer than necessary, thighs pressing together, and Nicole was close enough that her hair almost brushed Waverly’s face every time she turned her head. She savoured being in such close proximity, close enough to catch the clean, fresh scent of her. 

When they announced they were leaving, Cameron said he’d come with them, and they all walked together back to Waverly’s flat. After making arrangements for the next night, the two women shared a hug goodbye and Waverly watched as they walked off, Nicole reaching over to slap Cameron’s arm, no doubt in response to more teasing.

Waverly chatted with some of the other girls for ten minutes when she got in, before seeking out Chrissy in their room. She immediately asked, “So, how was the date?”

“It wasn’t a date,” she replied automatically.

“Really? What did you do after dinner?”

“We went for drinks and hung out with some of her friends,” she told her, sitting on the bed to take her shoes off. 

“And I bet she walked you home?”

“Yep.”

“Yeah, that totally wasn’t a date,” Chrissy laughed.   
When Waverly didn’t reply, Chrissy asked more seriously, “Did you want it to be a date?”

Waverly considered her answer for a moment, thinking back to the moments they’d shared. “Um, yeah, I think I did. So I’m not really sure what to do with that.”

“Because she’s a woman?” Chrissy asked gently, moving over to sit next to Waverly.

“Well, yeah. That’s unexpected, to say the least. I’ve never really felt that before.”

“You know that doesn’t matter to us, right? You can like anyone you like.”

“Thanks for the permission,” Waverly snarked, nudging her friend’s shoulder to let her know she was joking, and to acknowledge what she’d said. “There’s also the fact that we’re only here for another three weeks. Even if, and that’s a big if, anything were to happen, it couldn’t really be anything.”

“Ever hear of a holiday romance?”

“We’re not on holiday.”

“Semantics, Wave. Call it a summer fling then,” she laughed.

“I’ll call it confusing and leave it at that for tonight,” she sighed, grabbing her pyjamas and heading to the bathroom. 

Before she left the room, Chrissy called after her, “Hey, is she hot at least?”

Waverly blushed slightly, thinking of that face, and grinned, “The hottest.”

At 8.30 the next night, Waverly and Chrissy were mingling with the crowds that still filled the Royal Mile, the street that linked Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood, lined with an eclectic mix of ancient and modern buildings housing museums, pubs, restaurants and shops. They’d spent part of their afternoon there, handing out flyers for their show, but the atmosphere had changed as sky started to darken. 

Chrissy was buzzing with excitement for the ghost tour, desperate to explore the darker side of the city, while Waverly was full of nervous energy for a different reason: Nicole. So much so that she found it difficult to pay too much attention to her introduction to the group, explaining a bit about what they’d be doing and setting out some safety rules. 

As they started to move off as a group, following Nicole up the Royal Mile, Chrissy took Waverly by the arm and pulled her closer to the front.

“What are you doing?” Waverly whispered.

“We need to stay near the guide. I want to hear everything,” Chrissy smirked knowingly. Before Waverly could respond, Nicole stopped just in front of them and turned to face the group, launching into the first story. 

Gradually Waverly relaxed and found herself getting lost in the stories of Edinburgh’s slightly gruesome past. Although she wasn’t too keen on the scarier elements, the part of her that loved history revelled in the tales of the figures and events that helped to shape the city. Some of the names she was familiar with, such as Burke and Hare, while others were new to her, like George McKenzie, a poltergeist purported to haunt Greyfriars Kirkyard. 

As they walked through hidden closes and up and down narrow wynds, Waverly decided that she could listen to Nicole talk all day, regardless of the subject. She had a way of bringing the stories to life, bringing levity to the darker, more gruesome tales with more light-hearted banter, interacting with the group and answering everyone’s questions with enthusiasm. 

The final stop on the tour was the South Bridge vaults, spaces that had been built into the arches of the 18th century bridge and once been used for storage, and later as accommodation for the most unfortunate of the city’s inhabitants. Nicole explained that it was considered the most haunted place in Edinburgh, recounting some of the reported supernatural happenings. The temperature in the vaults was much lower than outside and the air felt damp and chilly. 

Chrissy was fascinated, wandering off to explore in the small space, but Waverly felt a little uneasy and uncomfortable. She stayed near to Nicole, who was making sure that no one went too far, and when she announced that they would switch the lights off for a moment so everyone could experience what it would have been like before, Waverly made sure to stand right next to her.

“You okay?” Nicole whispered, looking down with concern.

“Yeah, just a little freaked out,” she tried to smile.

“Stay by me when the lights go out, it’s just for a minute.”

Waverly did as Nicole said, and when the lights went out, she felt a warm, comforting hand on the small of her back. She leaned into Nicole and they stayed like that until the lights came back on and Nicole took charge of getting the group out of the vaults.

Waverly and Chrissy stood to the side as Nicole thanked the rest of the group and said goodbye to everyone, then when she approached them, Chrissy said, “That was awesome, thank you so much.”

“No problem, I’m glad you liked it. Especially the gory stuff, right?”

“Hey, I’m not that bloodthirsty! I just find all that fascinating.”

“Me too. What about you Waverly?”

“It was super interesting, even though some of it was a bit creepy for me. The vaults made me really uneasy, not that I believe they’re haunted but I had a horrible feeling in there,” Waverly explained.

“I go there a lot and they still make me uncomfortable. I think when a place has such a tragic and awful history, it’s hard not to feel something there.”

Chrissy was keen to continue the night in a bar, and Nicole readily agreed to her request to take them somewhere fun. She led them down a side street and stopped outside a pub, the noise from which was already spilling into the street. 

“Whistle Binkies?” Chrissy read, “I already love it!”

“I don’t come here often but if you want somewhere with lots of atmosphere, this is it. Live music, probably a folk band, and lots of whisky,” Nicole explained.

“Sounds perfect,” Waverly smiled as Nicole opened the door for them and followed them into the dim interior. They spotted one free table in a tucked away corner and Chrissy hurried to claim it while Nicole and Waverly fought their way to the bar. 

When they came back to the table, each carrying three glasses, Chrissy asked, “Two drinks at a time?”

“It’s so busy in here that it made sense. A beer and a whisky, to get in the mood,” Nicole said, setting down the three pint glasses. Waverly put the shorter glasses down and was about to say something when Chrissy took one, said, “Cheers!” and knocked it back in a single gulp. Waverly started to laugh as her face immediately flushed red and she started to cough, while Nicole looked horrified.

“That was a single malt, a Lagavulin! That’s a drink to sip and savour, not shoot,” she admonished, but couldn’t stop a smile breaking through.

“I know that now. Man, that was strong,” Chrissy gulped, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, as the others chuckled. 

“And it should have been slàinte mhath instead of cheers,” Waverly informed her.

“What’s that?” Chrissy asked.

“It’s a toast to good health. You know Gaelic?” Nicole raised her eyebrows at Waverly.

“Ha, Waverly knows like twenty languages,” Chrissy interjected with a smile.

“That’s an exaggeration. I know a few. Well, six. Fluently,” Waverly said, with a bit of pride.

“That’s amazing. I struggle with English sometimes,” Nicole laughed.

“She loves all those weird languages. Latin, Sumerian... She studies them in her spare time. Nerd,” Chrissy nudged her friend affectionately.

“Waverly Earp, you just keep surprising me,” Nicole said in a low voice, and Waverly ducked her head as she felt a blush spread across her cheeks.

They settled into easy conversation, talking more about the stories from the tour and Nicole giving advice on what else they should do in their free time. When Nicole went to fetch more drinks, Chrissy leaned over to Waverly and said, “I think I love her.”

“Hey,” Waverly laughed, smacking her on the shoulder.

“She’s great, I get why you’re into her. She’s totally into you too. She is, before you try to say otherwise.”

“I don’t know. You saw how friendly she was with everyone there,” Waverly said doubtfully.

“Yeah, friendly, but she wasn’t giving anyone but you the heart eyes. One thing you are right about though?”

“What’s that?”

“She is a hottie,” she grinned, making Waverly blush as Nicole returned with their drinks. They were joined soon afterwards by some of the others dancers, just in time for the three piece folk band to start. Waverly didn’t know any of the songs they played but the whisky had given her a pleasant buzz and the lively atmosphere of the crowded pub kept a wide grin on her face.

There was a makeshift dancefloor in front of the band and soon only Waverly and Nicole were left at the table as the others went to join in the energetic dancing. 

They sat mainly in comfortable silence, the rowdy pub too noisy for much chat, until Waverly, gathering her courage, stood up and held out her hands to Nicole. “Time to dance.”

“Oh no, I’m not a dancer. Especially surrounded by actual dancers,” Nicole laughed.

“Oh come on. Dance with me?” Waverly tried her best puppy dog expression.

“Oh, fine. But if you end up with flattened toes, remember you made me do this,” she said, grabbing Waverly’s hands and standing up to join her. 

As they jumped and twirled amongst the crowd on the floor, sometimes holding hands or circling waists, Waverly could barely tear her eyes away from Nicole’s flushed, happy face. When sparkling brown eyes met hers, she knew without a doubt that she wanted this woman. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Chrissy telling her that she was leaving with the others, and they soon decided they should all go then. As they made to leave, Nicole took her by the hand to make sure they didn’t get separated by the crowds on the way out. 

Once out on the street, she loosened her grip but Waverly squeezed her hand tighter, telling her without words that she didn’t want her to let go. Nicole flashed her a bright smile and squeezed back, and Waverly couldn’t believe that a simple gesture could have such an effect on her. They lagged behind the others, and Waverly broke the silence by asking, “Are you working tomorrow?”

“No, I always try to keep Sundays free. It’s my relaxing day. Well, apart from the run up Arthur’s Seat.”

“You run up that? Are you mad?”

“It’s been suggested. If you’re not busy, want to do something tomorrow?”

“Definitely. What do you want to do?”

“How about a tour? We could try to see some of the sights you’ve not seen yet.”

“Won’t that be boring for you? It’s not really a day off either.”

“Nah, I’d love to show you around a bit more,” she said with another squeeze of her hand.

The others had already disappeared inside when they reached the flat, and, still holding her hand, Waverly turned to face Nicole, trying to keep her gaze from drifting to her lips. 

“I had a great time tonight. Chrissy and your friends are a lot of fun.”

“It was amazing, thank you for making it so fun,” Waverly said softly, leaning more into Nicole’s space and looking up at her. She saw Nicole’s gaze flicker down to her mouth before she collected herself and placed a soft kiss on Waverly’s forehead. 

“See you in the morning, Waves” she whispered, giving her hand a final squeeze before letting go and turning to walk away. 

Waverly waited until she was out of earshot before letting out a frustrated groan at her own inaction. Tomorrow, she thought to herself, I have to do something tomorrow.

When Waverly stepped outside in the morning, the first thing she saw was Nicole, perched on the wall with two cups and a paper bag next to her.

“Good morning” she beamed, holding one of the cups towards Waverly.

“What’s all this? Sorry, I mean, morning to you too,” Waverly replied, taking the cup.

“Well, we need fuel for a day’s exploring. We’re going to start by sitting here drinking our coffee and eating these doughnuts,” she told her, holding up the bag and adding, “Vegan, of course.”

“Do you always think of everything?” Waverly asked, peeking into the bag to see what she’d brought.

“I do try. You can even have first choice, Oreo or biscoff,” she offered.

“I can’t decide. Half and half?”

They sat together on the wall, splitting the delicious treats and finishing their coffee while they decided what to do. Nicole suggested taking an open top bus tour since they could cover more ground and it was another warm, sunny day, and Waverly was happy to agree.

They found a bus quickly and headed upstairs, where Nicole let Waverly have the inside seat so she could have the better view. The guide on the bus gave a running commentary as they slowly toured the city, and Nicole supplemented the information with facts and trivia of her own, spoken quietly into Waverly’s ear. 

Waverly spent most of the ride taking photos, leaning back into Nicole to listen closely to her stories. She contributed a few facts of her own, surprising Nicole, who said, “You’ve picked up a lot of information in a short time here.”

“I may have bought a book at about Scottish history at the bookstore downstairs. I love history and I find this all fascinating.”

“I’m impressed. I don’t think you need a guide at all. Maybe you should be the one telling me,” she teased.

“I’m pretty sure we both know more than this guy anyway,” Waverly whispered, indicating the guide as they both laughed.

“What’s your favourite thing you’ve read so far?” Nicole asked.

“I don’t know, there’s so much. Mary Queen of Scots’ story is amazing, and the Jacobites and the massacre of Glencoe and the wars of independence. I wish I had time to see more of the country, I’d love to go to the Highlands” she enthused.

“If you’ve got another free weekend we could go up north for a few days,” Nicole suggested, then started to backtrack, “Or you know, you could go with Chrissy, you can easily get the train, or there’s tours-“

Waverly cut her off in the midst of her ramble, “You’d really want to do that? Go to the Highlands with me?”

“Sure, if you don’t think it’s too much with someone you’ve just met. I love it up there and I’d love to share it with you,” Nicole’s cheeks took on a pink tint as she looked at Waverly.

“I would love that too. We have a weekend before we go back, we finish on the Friday and don’t leave till Tuesday. Can we really do this?”

“Yes! I’ll make sure I don’t book anything that weekend. I’ll borrow Cam’s car and we can leave on Saturday morning, come back on Monday. We can camp!”

“Ew, camping? Do we have to?” Waverly wrinkled her nose at the idea.

“It’s the best way to experience it. Okay, how about a compromise? One night camping, one in a B&B?” 

“That sounds much more appealing,” Waverly agreed. 

They talked excitedly about the trip as they finished the tour and soon they’d sketched out a plan for their weekend away.

They visited a few places Waverly had seen from the bus, then Nicole suggested they pick up food for a picnic and climb Calton Hill, one of the best vantage points of the city. They were both sweating slightly from the climb in the afternoon sun, but it was worth it for the panoramic views of the city. 

Waverly was completely enamoured with the odd collection of buildings and monuments on the hill and wandered around taking photos of everything before Nicole found a relatively quiet spot and started setting out their picnic. 

When they’d finished eating, they both stretched out in the sun, Nicole on her back with her arms behind her head and Waverly propped up on her side next to her. She studied the redhead for a moment before asking, “Why are you still here?”

“Here? Lying in the sun with a pretty girl?” she joked but couldn’t quite hide her confusion.

“Haha. I meant, in Edinburgh. Since you’ve graduated, aren’t you going home?”

Nicole sighed and turned on to her side to face Waverly.

“I will, eventually. I just wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye so I figured I’d stay another summer and make some money. This is the third summer I’ve been a tour guide.”

“Really? When did you last go home?”

“At Christmas, I’ve been back every year. I went home the first summer then I spent the summer after that travelling around Europe.”

“That sounds amazing. Are you looking forward to going home though?” Waverly sensed Nicole didn’t really want to talk about it but she wanted to know more about her.

“I guess. This has been my home for five years so it’ll be weird. I have some decisions to make about what to do next.”

Waverly chose not to push it any further and instead asked, “Five years? I thought it was four?”

“I did a Masters at the end of my degree. Putting off real life for another year,” Nicole laughed. 

They relaxed in the sun for a while longer before Waverly felt her eyes begin to close and forced herself to sit up. 

“Want to move on?” Nicole raised her head and looked at her.

“Not really, but I might fall asleep if we don’t. Your pick now. Take me to a favourite place,” Waverly requested.

Nicole thought for a moment then grinned. “I know just the place. Come on, let’s go.” She stood up, holding out a hand to help Waverly up, and she didn’t let go as they made their way back to the streets below.

Fifteen minutes later, they came to a halt halfway down the Royal Mile, and Nicole announced, “Here we are.”

Waverly looked up at the sign and read aloud, “Museum of Childhood?”

“Yep. It’s the best, I love it here,” she said, taking her hand again and pulling her inside.

The museum was packed with toys, games and exhibits and Nicole made sure they didn’t miss anything, pointing out her favourites to Waverly.

Waverly found her enthusiasm utterly endearing, it felt like seeing another side to Nicole. 

“So you’re actually just a big kid, aren’t you?” she teased as Nicole led her through another exhibit.

“Eh, being a grown up is over-rated, I’ll take this any day. This place never fails to cheer me up when I feel a bit crappy, and you can’t knock that.”

“No, you can’t. Everyone needs that,” Waverly smiled softly, giving in to the urge to wrap her arms around Nicole in a tight hug, a gesture that was immediately reciprocated.

She carried the feeling of being in Nicole’s arms, being surrounded by that increasingly familiar scent, through the rest of the day, even after they parted hours later. 

She was in deep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading, I appreciate anyone taking the time to read and comment :)


	4. You are perfect, aren’t you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly grow closer, and Waverly learns more about Nicole’s past. Who will be brave enough to make the first move?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter four, back to Nicole’s POV. I didn’t intend to get this out so quickly, but the upside of being struck down with a nasty cold is that I had lots of time on my hands this weekend. The downside is that this chapter may be riddled with mistakes thanks to my slightly feverish state...  
> I almost tagged this as slow burn, then realised that, in the story, they’ve known each other for a week and a half...

“Tell me again why we’re doing this?” Waverly groaned as she trudged along, a step behind Nicole.

“You’re the one that wanted to climb Arthur’s Seat,” Nicole looked back at the smaller woman with a bright smile.

“But at 6am? Really?”

“It’s the best time, the only time when there’s no-one else around. And the sun’s just up,” she pointed out as she reached down to take Waverly’s hand with her free one, the other holding Rory’s lead as he trotted in front.  
Waverly continued to grumble under her breath as they walked on, and Nicole could only laugh at how adorable she found it. 

After a few minutes, she stopped and handed the lead to Waverly, “Here, take Rory for a minute.” 

She opened her backpack and pulled out a thermos, which she also handed to Waverly.

“Coffee. Drink this and it might stop your whining, grumpy,” she smiled mischievously.

“I don’t whine,” Waverly complained, then laughed at herself. “Okay, maybe a little. Thank you though, you really do think of everything.” 

They took their time, walking through Holyrood Park to join the easy path to the top of Arthur’s Seat. Despite the hour, they passed a few other early risers, some running and some walking dogs. Nicole let Rory off his lead and he shot off into the thicker grass on either side of the path, circling back around them every so often. 

The coffee had worked on Waverly and she asked Nicole lots of questions, which she was happy to answer. She had loved the area from the first time she visited and explained to Waverly about all the rock formations they passed.

As they neared the summit, the going began to get a little tougher and Nicole took the lead, picking out the easiest path amongst the rocks for Waverly to follow.  
When Nicole reached the top, she was pleased to see they were the only ones there, and she took Waverly’s hand to pull her the final distance to stand beside her.

“Wow,” she breathed reverently as she turned on the spot to take in the views, lit softly in the early morning light. 

“Worth it?” Despite the view, Nicole couldn’t keep her eyes off of Waverly’s beautiful face.

“More than. Thank you,” Waverly smiled up at her, leaning into her side. They stood in silence for a moment before Rory came bounding up to them, winding his way around their legs.

“Hey boy, let’s get you a drink,” Nicole said, setting her backpack down and pulling out a collapsible bowl and a bottle of water. Waverly took a seat next to them and Nicole handed her a tub.

“Peanut butter bites?”

“Ooh, yes please. Where did you get these?”

“I made them last night, I hope they’re okay,” Nicole said, almost shyly.

“I think you might actually be perfect,” Waverly said softly, then ducked her head, embarrassed. Nicole just smiled to herself and let Waverly regain her composure.

They stayed for half an hour, watching as the city laid out below them began to wake up. As they stood to leave, making sure they’d left nothing behind, Waverly started towards the way they’d came but Nicole stopped her.

“We’re taking a short cut back,” she said, pointing to a barely visible track down the hillside.

“That? Down that sheer cliff?”

“Hardly, it’s totally safe. That’s the way I run down. Here, just follow me.”

Nicole went slowly, checking back over her shoulder every few steps as Waverly gingerly followed her footsteps. The smaller woman stopped a few times, looking unsure, before Nicole guided them both onto more even ground.

“See, nothing to worry about,” Nicole told her reassuringly, walking backwards a few steps. Rory chose that moment to run past, bumping the back of her legs, and before she could catch herself, Nicole fell back and sat down heavily.

“Shit. Ow,” she groaned quietly, and glanced up at Waverly, who was looking down at her with a mixture of concern and amusement. “Any chance you didn’t see that?”

“No way. What were you saying about nothing to worry about?” Waverly smirked, and gave into to her amusement, doubled over with laughter. Nicole glared at her from where she sat until she couldn’t hold back her own laughter any longer. 

When Waverly recovered herself enough, she held out her hand to haul Nicole back to her feet, the two ending up close in each other’s space. Nicole took a deep breath and was about to take a step back when Waverly suddenly darted forward and pressed her lips to Nicole’s. 

The force of the action took Nicole by surprise and she stumbled back, finding herself, for the second time in a few minutes, sprawled on the ground, this time with Waverly hovering over her.

“Owwww. Are you trying to kill me?” Nicole groaned, but her eyes sparkled as she stared up at Waverley.

“Oh God, sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean, I don’t know what-“ Waverly stuttered, trying to pull back but Nicole reached up to grab her shoulder. She slid her hand round to the back of her neck, keeping eye contact as she pulled her face closer. Seeing no signs of resistance, she closed the gap until their lips met in the sweetest of kisses. Nicole felt a warm hand come up to cup her cheek and she took the encouragement to deepen the kiss, moving more urgently against Waverly’s impossibly soft lips. 

They broke apart a moment later, both panting slightly, foreheads together, and Nicole was the first to break the silence. “Wow.” 

Waverly let out a soft chuckle and gave her a gentle peck on the lips, saying “I agree.” 

Nicole would have sworn that her heart swelled as she took in the woman looking down at her, eyes crinkling and mouth pulled up in a wide smile. 

“Not that I’m complaining, at all, but what was that?” she asked.

“I got tired of waiting for you to do it,” Waverly shrugged simply, then added, “Plus you looked really cute sitting there.”

Nicole threw her head back and laughed in delight. “You are something else, Waverly Earp.” She couldn’t stop herself from reaching up to capture Waverly’s lips in another searing kiss. 

As happy as she was with their current position, Nicole finally had to break away, breathing hard as she said, “Can we move? I was trying to ignore it but there’s a rock digging into my ass.”

Waverly laughed loudly and moved back, “Poor baby. Come on, let’s get up.” She stole another kiss before they set off, swinging their linked hands between them. 

They were almost at the bottom of the hill when they were surprised by a few drops of rain, and within a few minutes they were caught in a downpour. 

“Crap, that wasn’t supposed to happen. Let’s get to mine, it’s closer,” Nicole instructed, calling Rory back and clipping on his lead before the three of them set off at a half-run to her flat.

They were soaked through by the time Nicole let them in to the empty flat. She got Rory into the larger bathroom before he had the chance to shake the water from his coat. She found some spare clothes and a towel for Waverly and left her to dry off and change in her bedroom while she went back to dry off Rory as much as he would let her. Within five minutes, he’d emptied his food bowl and was stretched out in a favourite spot, sound asleep. 

Nicole knocked gently on her bedroom door and waited until Waverly called, “Come in,” before opening the door and entering. Waverly was dressed in Nicole’s sweatpants, rolled a few times at the ankle, and a hoodie that made her look tiny. 

The sight of Waverly in her clothes did something to Nicole, and she had to give herself a mental shake before she said, “Looking good, short stuff.”

“Hey, we can’t all be giraffes,” Waverly protested, moving forward to swat her on the arm. Nicole caught her hand and pulled her into a kiss, marvelling again at how soft those lips were. 

She felt Waverly’s hands move up to gently push her away, and she said, “Go get those wet clothes off.”

Nicole raised her eyebrows and looked at her with a smirk, and Waverly flushed as she stuttered out, “To put dry ones on, I meant!”

Nicole laughed and said, “I’ll do that. Make yourself comfortable, put the TV on, whatever you want.”

She returned five minutes later, warm and dry in fresh clothes, to find Waverly propped up against the pillows on her bed, flicking through Netflix.

“Comfortable?” she asked, sitting on the opposite edge of the bed. 

“Mmm, yes. This is a great room. A great apartment, by the looks of it.”

“Cam’s parents own it, I’d never be able to afford to live somewhere so nice otherwise.” She fiddled with the edge of the pillow, unsure of what to do next. 

Waverly patted the bed next to her and said, “You can join me, you know.” Nicole scooted closer until she was sitting back against the pillows next to Waverly, and after another moment, she moved to put her arm around her and pull her closer. Waverly rested her head on Nicole’s chest and snuggled closer with a contented sigh.

“This is nice,” Nicole whispered, “I can’t say I haven’t been thinking about this.”

“There was probably an easier way to get me into your bed,” Waverly joked, craning her neck to look up at Nicole, who laughed and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Nicole, why didn’t you kiss me on Saturday? You wanted to, didn’t you?” Waverly blurted.

Nicole drew back a little to look at her and said, “I did, I really did. But you were kinda drunk and I wasn’t going to take advantage. I didn’t want to be a drunken mistake, either.” 

Waverly stared deeply at her, then pushed herself up and moved so she was straddling Nicole’s lap. She took her face in her hands and whispered, “You are perfect, aren’t you? You could never be a mistake to me.” 

Lips crashed together in a heated kiss, Waverly running her tongue along Nicole’s bottom lip to encourage her to open her mouth. Nicole slid her hand up to tangle in Waverly’s long hair, gently pushing her tongue into her welcoming mouth. They continued to explore each other, all soft whimpers and sharp breaths, until Nicole pulled away. 

“Is this okay?” she breathed. 

“This,” Waverly nipped at her bottom lip, “is very okay,” she trailed a line of kisses up Nicole’s jaw before sitting back on her heels and taking in her disheveled hair and kiss-swollen lips. “But maybe we should cool down a bit.”

Nicole’s racing heart told her that was a good idea, and she manoeuvred them until they were in their previous position, Waverly tucked into her side. 

“Can we just lie here for a while?” Waverly asked, a sleepiness edging into her voice.

“Of course. It’s only 9am, we can sleep for a few hours if you like.”

“Mmm, yes please. Some crazy woman made me get up at the crack of dawn to climb a hill.”

“She sounds awful,” Nicole chuckled, pressing her face further into Waverly’s hair.

“But then she kissed me senseless so I forgave her.” Nicole could hear the smirk in Waverly’s voice and she responded by sliding them both further down the pillows, pulling Waverly closer. As they both drifted off into sleep, Nicole felt like she was glowing. 

Busy schedules kept them from meeting again until Friday evening when Waverly, Chrissy and a few of their group joined Nicole, Cameron and their friends in The Southern. Nicole would have preferred to take Waverly on a date on their own, but she was happy to settle for seeing her in any situation.

Since she didn’t know if any of Waverly’s friends knew what had happened between them, she was unsure of how to greet her when she arrived, so she was pleasantly surprised when Waverly walked straight up to her, gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and sat next to her, immediately taking her hand. 

When drinks had been ordered, introductions made and conversation was flowing amongst their friends, Nicole turned her attention to the woman next to her. She watched as she talked animatedly with everyone, smiling and laughing, while never letting go of the hand that she clutched tightly against her thigh. 

Midway through the evening, when Waverly had gone to the bar with Cameron, Nicole found herself sitting next to Chrissy, who leaned towards her with a serious expression and said, “Now we’re alone, I have to ask you. What are your intentions towards Waverly?”

Nicole, taken aback, struggled for a moment to come up with an answer before Chrissy burst out laughing and nudged her shoulder. “I’m kidding! You should have seen your face though!”

“I’m glad it’s amusing to you,” Nicole said drily, but she wasn’t annoyed really.

“Waverly’s a big girl, she can take care of herself. And she’s had a big grin on her face all week, so you’re doing something right.” Ignoring Nicole’s blush, she continued, “A holiday romance is just what she needs.” 

With that, she turned to the rest of the table and joined in the conversation, leaving Nicole to sit in contemplative silence. A holiday romance? Was that what this was? Although she knew that Waverly would be heading home in just over two weeks, she hadn’t really allowed herself to consider what that meant. 

Silently chastising herself for thinking it could be more, she tried to push the thoughts to the back of her mind and enjoy the rest of the night.

As she walked Waverly back to her flat later, she said, “Let me take you on a date on Sunday. A real date, just us.”

“Yes please. That was fun tonight, but I wanted you all to myself.”

“Oh I thought so, all that leg squeezing under the table gave you away,” Nicole teased. Waverly took a quick look around then backed Nicole up against a wall, and reached up to meet her in a kiss that Nicole felt all the way down to her toes. Nicole slid her arms around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her fiercely until they were both left breathless. 

Waverly gave her a final kiss on the cheek and walked off, calling back over her shoulder, “Coming?”

“Shiiiit,” Nicole exhaled as she pushed herself off the wall and followed the woman that, she was quite sure, was going to be the death of her.

Sunday found the pair on a bus, winding its way north to the outskirts of the city and Nicole refused to answer Waverly’s repeated questions about where they were going until they’d stepped off the bus.

Waverly looked around the small harbour, lined with fisherman’s cottages, and said, “Now will you tell me where we are?”

“This is Cramond. I’ve done a lot of work out here for its unusual geology, but it’s also a nice place for walking. There’s the harbour and the promenade, and you see that island out there? You can reach that by causeway at low tide,” Nicole pointed out.

“Can we do that?” Waverly asked, excited at the idea.

“Hopefully I’ve timed it right so we can, we don’t want to get stuck when the tide comes in.”

“I don’t know, I can think of worse things than being stuck on an island with you,” Waverly smiled cheekily, pulling Nicole down for a sweet kiss.

After carefully checking the times for safe crossing, they set off on the mile long walk across to the tiny Cramond Island, and Waverly was excited to explore the old First and Second World War fortifications. Nicole was content to watch, occasionally answering any questions she could, and she was so taken by Waverly’s infectious enthusiasm for everything around her.

They made it back to the mainland just in time, watching as they followed the harbour as the causeway began to disappear under water. 

Nicole suggested a drink in the traditional pub on the waterfront, and soon they had settled down with two beers in front of them.

Since her conversation with Chrissy, Nicole had spent a lot of time thinking about her relationship with Waverly, whatever it might be. She couldn’t think of a way to broach the subject though, something Waverly had obviously picked up on as she said, “Hey, you’ve been kinda quiet since we got here. Everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. I kinda zoned out a bit there,” she apologised.

“That’s okay. Anything you want to talk about?” Waverly asked, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Um, just trying to work a few things out, that’s all,” she sighed, not sure if it was a good idea to delve any deeper.

“Is this about what to after the summer? Whether to go home, I mean?” 

“Yeah, pretty much,” she replied, deciding that was a safer topic for now, “It’s getting closer and I’m still unsure what to do.”

“Well, what are your options?” 

“Uh, I’ve applied for funding to do a PhD here. I’m not sure I’ll get it, and even I do, I don’t know if I really want it, to be honest.”

“And that would mean a lot more time here? Do you really not want to go back to Canada?” Waverly asked softly.

“Well, if I go with my other option, I would. I’ve been offered a graduate place with a climate change management organisation and I’d be based in Toronto.”

“That’s what you want to get into, right? You told me that that’s your major interest.”

“It is. Honestly, I’m not sure what’s holding me back from just accepting it,” she said, with a deep sigh. She hadn’t spoken to anyone about this so far, and it did feel better to having a sounding board.

“In Toronto, you’d be close to family and friends too, right? That might be nice after years away,” Waverly suggested.

Nicole just shrugged and looked at her hands.

“Tell me if I’m out of line, I don’t want to pry, but you don’t talk much about your family. Don’t you get on with them?”

That was the question Nicole had been waiting for, and now Waverly had asked, she found she didn’t mind talking about it.

“It’s not that we don’t get on, really. We speak quite regularly and I go home every year at Christmas. I just don’t know what it would be like to be back so much closer to them,” Nicole tried to explain. 

“Did something happen between you?”

“Not really. Wait, I think this story needs another drink,” Nicole said, mainly to gather her thoughts. 

When she came back from the bar with two whiskies, she began to tell Waverly about her early life, how she was an only child, part of a very close knit family. A golden child, a successful student, excelling at sports. 

“And then, when I was sixteen, I came out to my parents,” she said, looking at Waverly to gauge her reaction. 

Waverly touched her knee under the table and said, “They didn’t take it well?”

“Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. They were surprised but they told me they loved me just the same. I think they tried their best but something changed. They didn’t really tell anyone and they stopped taking such an interest in my life. I felt like everything had moved sideways a bit and I just didn’t fit anymore, you know?”

Waverly gave her an encouraging nod and she continued, “My dad definitely struggled with it more. We’d always been really close and though he never pushed me away, he just didn’t know how to be with me anymore. It put a lot of strain on us all, so when I had the chance to study here, I jumped at it.”

“How’s your relationship with them now?”

“I feel like the distance has helped. When we do talk now it’s mostly easy, and seeing them at Christmas is good.”

“Are you worried you might lose that again if you’re seeing them more often?” Waverly seemed to know exactly what Nicole was thinking.

“Kinda, I guess? I want to have a good relationship with them, I love them and I know they love me, but it’s been five years. I was only eighteen when I moved away, I’ve done all my growing up since then and now I finally feel like me. What if it’s even harder to fit in now?”

“If they’ve any sense, they’ll see what an amazing person you are and that’s all that should matter,” Waverly smiled at her with so much kindness in her eyes that Nicole suddenly felt like she might cry. 

Waverly gave her a moment, rubbing circles on the back of her hand with her thumb, until Nicole looked up and whispered, “Thank you. Thanks for listening, I didn’t mean to get so heavy.”

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. Any time, okay?”

Nicole felt lighter all of a sudden, happy to have shared what had been weighing her down and grateful to Waverly for listening without judgement and knowing what to say to make her feel better.

They didn’t talk much on the bus back into the city, both feeling the effects of the sea air. Waverly snuggled into Nicole’s side, arm looped through hers and head resting on her shoulder. 

Before she drifted into a light doze, Nicole felt as well as heard her mumble, “I’m glad I asked you for directions Nicole.”

Nicole turned to press a kiss to her soft hair and whispered, “Me too.” Holiday romance or not, Nicole made up her mind then to make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading, I really appreciate your comments :)


	5. Are you winning?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our pair do some more exploring, Waverly surprises Nicole, and Nicole has some decisions to make...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter five! This one switches POVs halfway through, and is really just fluff setting up the big weekend away. Two chapters to go after this one...
> 
> Again, everywhere in this is real, and worth a visit!

It had only been two days since Waverly had seen Nicole but even that felt like too long. The talk they’d had about Nicole’s family and her future had made her feel closer to her, and Waverly had to keep reminding herself that this was supposed to be, as Chrissy had said, a summer fling. Sure, Nicole might be moving back to Toronto, but Waverly didn’t know where, if at all, she might fit into that plan.

She was walking the now-familiar route across the Meadows, heading to the centre of town to spend yet more time handing out show flyers, when Chrissy stopped the next to the tennis courts. 

“Hey, there’s Nicole and Cameron.” Before Waverly could react, Chrissy was dragging her over to the fence for a better look. Only a few of the courts were occupied, so it was easy to spot Nicole and her friend, engaged in what looked like a competitive game. Nicole would have been hard to miss anyway, with her vivid red hair pulled back in a ponytail and long legs on display in a pair of shorts. Waverly couldn’t help but stare at the way her tank top clung to her torso, or how the muscles in her shoulders and back rippled with every hit of the ball... 

After a moment, Cameron spotted them and pointed them out to Nicole, who turned and jogged towards them. As she approached, Chrissy leaned in and, indicating her mouth, said, “You’ve got a little something...” 

Waverly immediately brought her hand up to her face and whispered, “Where? What is it?” 

“Oh, never mind, it’s just drool,” she grinned wickedly, and Waverly just had time to smack her arm before Nicole was on the other side of the fence. If she noticed Waverly’s furious blush, she was kind enough not to say anything. 

“Hey guys, what’s up?” she greeted them. 

“Not much. Just heading out flyering again. Are you winning?” Waverly asked, indicating where Cameron had sat down at the side of the court. 

“Against him, always,” she replied with a cocky grin that made Waverly’s stomach flip.

Before they said goodbye, Nicole asked, “Can you get away this afternoon? I have a tour that finishes at 2, we could get coffee, or lunch after?”

“I’ll make sure to get rid of all these flyers by 2,” Waverly smiled.

“Great. I’ll meet you at the Tron then.”

Waverly usually enjoyed the days they spent on the Royal Mile handing out flyers. Not so much for the actual task, but to be in the heart of the action. The street was always busy, full of festival-goers and performers and Waverly loved to get caught up in the atmosphere. But 2pm couldn’t come quickly enough, and Waverly was waiting outside the Tron five minutes before Nicole was due to meet her. 

Scanning the crowds, Waverly spotted a familiar shock of red hair and saw Nicole leading a group to a spot nearby. She was dressed in a long black robe and Waverly realised that she must be leading a Harry Potter tour. She hovered nearby while Nicole said goodbye to her group, and before she had a chance to take off the robe, Waverly sidled up and asked, “Excuse me, are you... a Weasley?”

Nicole gave a start at the interruption but when she saw it was Waverly, her face broke into a wide grin, flushing slightly. “You’re going to have to stop making fun of my hair, you know.”

“When have I ever made fun of your hair?”

“You only spoke to me because you thought I must be Scottish,” she laughed.

“True. That wasn’t making fun though. I like your hair a lot,” Waverly told her, reaching up to gently run a hand through the soft waves. 

Nicole caught her hand, pressed a kiss to her palm and smiled, “Fine, you’re forgiven.”

They stopped in at a bakery to pick up a picnic lunch then Nicole led her through the crowds to an unremarkable looking alleyway (or close, as Waverly had learned). In response to her questioning look, Nicole ushered her through and they emerged into a small garden, edged with flower covered trellises and with a few benches dotted around. There were a few other people there but the contrast from the bustling street just a few metres away was amazing.

“What is this place?” Waverly asked, looking around in delight.

“Pretty cool, huh? It’s called Dunbar’s Close, it’s like a secret garden. I just love how peaceful it is when it’s so busy elsewhere. I hoped I’d get a chance to bring you here,” she said, as she settled down on a bench and started unpacking their food.

“I’m glad you did, and I’m glad that you’ve shared your favourite places with me,” Waverly replied, leaning in for a kiss. When she pulled back, she said, “I want to do something for you. Let me take you out at the weekend.”

“You don’t have to, I’ve loved showing you around.”

“I want to. Sunday?”

“I’m in,” Nicole flashed her that smile again.

“I’m going to find something you’ve not done before. Oh, are you busy on Saturday? Some of us are going to go to Glasgow.”

“I’m working all day, it’s my last Saturday of the Festival so it’ll be non-stop.”

“That’s a shame. I really just want to go somewhere on the train so I can go from my station,” Waverly laughed.

——————

A few days later, Nicole was taking a quick break before her second tour of the day. She pulled out her phone and smiled when she saw a message from Waverly. Her smile grew when she opened it up to see a selfie of Waverly in front of Waverley Station, holding up a finger to cover the extra ‘e’.

**Aw, cute! Have a great day :)**

**You too! Oh, I know what we’re doing tomorrow now. Meet me at 2 and dress up!**

**Dress up? As in wear a dress?**

**I just meant smart, but now you’ve said it you have to wear a dress. Pleeeease**

Seeing people start to gather at the tour start point, Nicole tapped out a final message and slid her phone back into her pocket before going to greet them.

The next day, Nicole was standing in front of her full-length mirror, trying to decide if her outfit was smart enough. She had picked out a pale blue sleeveless skater style dress with silver sandals. With a sigh, she left her room to find Cameron, knowing she must be desperate to be asking his opinion. 

When she walked into the living room, he looked up from the book he was reading and said, “Hey, you look nice.”

“No need to sound surprised. And, really?”

“Yeah, looks like you even brushed your hair for once,” he teased.

“That’s more what I expect from you. Really though, is this smart? Waverly is taking me out as a surprise and she said to dress up. I don’t want to get it wrong.”

“You must really want to impress, if you’re asking me. I meant it though, you do look nice. Waverly will look better, of course,” he said, then ducked as Nicole threw a cushion at him and walked out of the room. She collected her favourite green blazer and grabbed her bag before leaving the flat. 

Just as she approached Waverly’s flat, the front door opened and Waverly stepped out to greet her. Nicole let her gaze drift over the smaller woman; clad in a floaty floral dress with gold sandals and chunky jewellery to match, her hair loose and softly flowing down her back, she was breathtaking. 

“Wow, Waves, you look... well, perfect.” Waverly ducked her head, blushing, before she met Nicole’s eye and returned the compliment. “And you look beautiful. I’m so glad I asked you to wear a dress, because, wow.”

“Oh good, I was a bit worried it wasn’t smart enough. Now can I know where we’re going?”

“Nope! You’ll know soon enough,” Waverly said cheerily, looping her arm through Nicole’s and pulling her in the direction of the centre of town. 

Twenty minutes later, they turned onto Princes Street and Waverly came to an abrupt stop in front of the grand old hotel on the corner. 

“Ta da!” Waverly exclaimed, looking at Nicole with a hint of nervousness. 

“The Balmoral? Really?” Nicole was wide-eyed looking back at her. 

“Please say you haven’t been?” 

“As a broke student, my resources never quite stretched to here,” she laughed. 

“Oh, yay! I’m so happy I found somewhere you’ve not been. How does afternoon tea sound?” Waverly was practically bouncing on the spot waiting for her answer. 

“It sounds amazing,” Nicole’s dimple was on full display as she beamed back at Waverly. They hurried up the steps and thanked the doorman as he opened the large door for them to pass through. 

They were shown up to the Palm Court, a grand room with a glass domed ceiling and a Venetian chandelier; palm trees stood at each pillar and to complete the picture, a harpist played on a small balcony overlooking the dining area. 

Waverly and Nicole were both struggling to contain themselves as they were shown to a small table with two opulent armchairs, and as soon as they were alone, Waverly burst out, “Is this even real?” 

“This is unbelievable. By far the fanciest place I’ve been in Edinburgh. Maybe anywhere,” Nicole replied, looking around to take in every detail. 

“I feel like we need to be on our best behaviour. We are proper ladies today.” 

“We can do that, no problem. I’m so glad you told me to dress up, I think I may have felt a little out of place in my jeans and Cons.” 

At that, they were served two glasses of champagne and a procession of silver stands appeared bearing tiny sandwiches, cakes, scones and pastries. They spent the next hour working their way through the delicacies, enjoying their champagne and finishing off with a pot of tea, as well as sneaking in a few selfies. 

As they were leaving, Nicole saw that there was no-one else around and took the opportunity to pull Waverly close. She placed a soft kiss on Waverly’s lips, a kiss that quickly became more heated than she intended. 

She forced herself to pull back and Waverly’s eyes fluttered open. 

“What was that for?” she asked, her voice a little hoarse. 

“Thank you for my surprise, I loved it,” Nicole pressed her lips to Waverly’s again, more chastely this time. 

“You’re welcome. I thought we could maybe go somewhere else now. You know, since we’re all dressed up.” 

“It would be a shame not to. What did you have in mind?” 

“Well, maybe we could catch a show. The Festival is almost over and I haven’t seen a thing yet.” 

“That’s a great idea. I haven’t seen anything but your show. Not that anything else will live up to that.” 

“Nice save. Let’s find a guide and see what’s on.” They spent the rest of the day taking in several free shows, most of which weren’t particularly good, but since they were more wrapped up in each other’s company, they didn’t really care. 

The next week was busy for both of them, with Waverly’s show coming to an end, Nicole spending a lot of time considering the options for her future, and both making arrangements for their weekend away, but they made time to catch up every day, usually for a morning coffee, and on a particularly cultured day, taking in a lunchtime concert in the museum.

For the first time in five years, Nicole was on the verge of going home for good. For the first time in five years, she was actually thinking of Toronto as home. Her parents knew about the job offer but she hadn’t discussed it much with them but now she called them with the news that she was seriously considering taking it. Her mom sounded genuinely delighted at the prospect of having her home, and when her dad started talking about going to Raptors games together, she knew he was happy with the idea too. 

All too soon, it was time for Waverly’s last show, and as she had done three weeks before, Nicole took her seat in the audience and was immediately transfixed. This time she was not embarrassed about watching only Waverly, everything she had come to know about her and what she had come to mean to her only adding to the experience. 

Watching her, she also felt proud; proud to know this exceptional, intelligent, passionate woman; proud to have been accepted so unquestioningly into her life.

At the end of the show the cast took a longer curtain call than usual to mark their final performance, and Nicole could see that many of them were in tears. 

She had only been waiting for a few minutes in the foyer when Waverly appeared, still in her final costume and with eyes still glistening, and she almost threw herself into Nicole’s arms. Nicole returned the tight embrace for a moment before pulling back slightly to ask, “You okay, Waves?”

“Just sad it’s over. And happy it went so well. A bit relieved too, I guess? And very glad you’re here,” she whispered the last part. 

Nicole kissed her forehead gently and said softly, “Thank you for letting me be part of it.”

She held Waverly close until she was more composed, then said, “I loved the show again tonight, more than the last time. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.”

“Thank you. It really does mean a lot that you were there. I couldn’t wait to see you,” she smiled, indicating her costume.

“So I see. I guess you need to go change?”

“Yeah, we’re heading out to celebrate a successful run. Are you coming too?”

“Thanks for asking, but I think it should just be you guys, you’ve got a lot to celebrate.”

“Aw, are you sure? I want to spend time with you,” Waverly gave an exaggerated pout and Nicole laughed at how adorable she found it.

“No, go be with your friends. We’ve got all weekend, just us.”

“I can’t wait,” Waverly punctuated each word with a soft kiss.

“Me neither. I have to finish getting everything ready too. 8am, okay?”

“I’ll get the coffee!”

With a final kiss that left them both wanting more, they parted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading and for your comments, reading them makes me happy!


	6. Hold that thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly set off for their road trip weekend in the Highlands; monster hunting, whisky drinking and sleeping bag sharing ensue! Also: Wynonna cameo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The penultimate chapter, and perhaps the longest yet! The final chapter (although there may be an epilogue...) is underway too. I’ve sent Nicole and Waverly to some of my favourite places in this one.
> 
> Note the change in rating for the inclusion of a little bit of smut... teeny, tiny...

Waverly had just set her alarm for 6.30am and was about to climb into bed when her phone vibrated on the nightstand. Expecting, or at least hoping, it was a message from Nicole, she was surprised to see her sister’s photo on the screen.

“Wynonna?” she answered.

“Hey babygirl, congratulations!” came the familiar voice.

“Congratulations?” she asked, puzzled.

“It was your last show, right? Shit, did I get the wrong night?” she groaned.

Waverly was touched that her sister had remembered, and more so that she’d called to congratulate her. After years apart, they had been working hard on building their relationship, and though they’d spoken several times over the past month, Waverly hadn’t expected her to know the significance of the day.

“No, no, it was tonight. It went great, I’m a bit sad it’s over but I’m so happy we did it and it went well.”

“I’m proud of you Wave, I wish I could’ve seen you. Next time, right? When are you home anyway?”

“We fly back to Toronto on Tuesday. I’ll come visit you and Gus at the weekend,” she promised.

“Good. Wild partying all this weekend before you come home then?”

“Uh, actually I’m going away for the weekend, up to the Highlands,” Waverly hadn’t mentioned anything about Nicole but suddenly realised that she wanted to tell her sister all about the amazing woman that had come into her life.

“Cool, all those castles and stuff will be heaven for a nerd like you. With Chrissy?”

“Okay, I didn’t say anything before but I kinda met someone when I got here and that’s who I’m going with,” she rushed out.

“Whoa, a romantic getaway in the Highlands after a few weeks? This guy is a massive upgrade from that loser Champ already. So, spill. Tell me all about him,” she prompted.

This was it. Waverly took a deep breath and said in a steady voice, “It’s not a guy. Her name is Nicole.”

“A chick?” came the quick reply.

“Well spotted. Is that a problem?” Waverly was immediately defensive.

“Jeez Waverly, of course not. I just didn’t expect that. Tell me about her, then.” 

Waverly couldn’t believe that it had been that easy, and she was sure that Wynonna would have more questions, and no doubt more teasing, but for now she was happy to tell her all about Nicole.

Usually not a fan of early mornings, Waverly was nevertheless downstairs waiting, rucksack on her back and two large coffees in hand, when a dark blue Audi pulled up to the kerb and Nicole stepped out. 

“Nice car,” she called, as Nicole came closer to greet her with a kiss.

“Didn’t you just know Cam would drive something like this?”

“Actually yeah, I could have guessed. Nice of him to let us use it though,” Waverly commented, handing the coffees to Nicole so she could take her rucksack off and place it in the back seat. 

When they’d settled back into the car and started to make their way out of the city, Waverly said, “Sorry I can’t share the driving. I’m still not really used to even seeing this driving on the other side of the road thing.”

“It’s fine, I like driving. And it’s less than four hours so not too long.”

“Cool. Where are we stopping along the way?”

“Wherever you want. I thought we could go to Perth, but we’ve got plenty of time so anything or anywhere you see along the way, we can stop.”

Their first stop was just outside the city, when Waverly saw the three huge bridges that spanned the Firth of Forth and wanted to take photos.

Despite two more stops on the way, it was still too early for lunch when they reached Perth, but they spent a while anyway wandering around the ancient capital of Scotland. Before setting off again, they picked up some food and had a picnic at their next stop, the pretty town of Pitlochry. 

As they left rural Perthshire behind and headed further north, the scenery began to change, the rolling green hills giving way to the more mountainous views of the Highlands. 

Coming from a small town in the middle of nowhere, Waverly was no stranger to spectacular vistas, but she was left almost speechless by the scenery unfolding around her. 

When they crested a hill and rounded a tight bend to reveal a loch, edged on one side by a dense forest, the surface of the water sparkling in the sunlight, Waverly asked, “Can we find somewhere to stop here? I need to take photos of this, it’s so beautiful.” 

“Sure, I’ll find a safe place to pull over.” 

There was a small, deserted picnic area half a mile further along, which opened into an even more spectacular view. Waverly would have been happy to stay for hours, sitting on the banks of the loch taking in the views and watching the birds soaring high above, but when Nicole told her that they were only half an hour from their destination, she was keen to move on. 

Soon afterwards, they arrived on the outskirts of a small village and Nicole took the turnoff for a campsite. 

“So this is Fort Augustus?” Waverly asked, looking around as they got out of the car to check in and find their pitch. 

“Yep. Well, nearly. I thought we could get everything set up just now then get back in the car to explore a bit more?” 

“Sounds good to me. I’m so excited to see Loch Ness,” Waverly beamed, almost bouncing with excitement. 

“We’re only a couple of miles away now. Got your binoculars for Nessie spotting? You’ll need them when we go out on the boat,” Nicole smiled. 

“We’re going on a boat? A Nessie cruise?” Waverly grabbed Nicole in a tight hug, unable to keep the grin from her face. 

“Couldn’t pass up that chance, could we? We’re going out at 5, so we’ve got plenty of time to explore beforehand.” 

When they’d been told where to pitch their tent, they drove to their spot and while Nicole got to work on the tent, Waverly started to unpack the car, finding what they’d need for the night. 

Waverly helped with the final parts of the tent, hammering in a few pegs before stepping back to admire Nicole’s work. 

“Well that was pretty impressive. I’m pretty sure I’d still be unpacking it from the bag at this point.” 

“I’ve done it loads of times before, field trips for my course usually involved camping. A site like this is luxury in comparison,” Nicole told her. 

They started to fill the interior with the essentials, and when Nicole saw that Waverly had zipped together the two sleeping bags she’d brought, she turned to her with raised eyebrows. 

“You said it gets really cold. I thought the extra body heat would help,” Waverly tried to smile innocently, but it turned into a smirk. 

“That is very good thinking, Waverly,” Nicole whispered, pulling her into a kiss. “It’ll be cold out on the loch too, you’d better bring a sweater or a jacket.” 

“Already on it,” Waverly replied, holding up the hoodie that she’d borrowed from Nicole the day they’d got soaked. 

“You little thief! I’d forgotten you had that.” 

“I think you’ll find this is mine,” Waverly grinned, pulling the garment over her head. 

“Is that right? Shouldn’t you buy clothes that fit then? Although, you sure do look cute,” Nicole placed her hands on Waverly’s waist and pulled her closer. 

“It also reminds me of the time that I was brave enough to finally do this,” Waverly reached up to press her lips to Nicole’s and when she moved to pull back, Nicole just pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, parting her lips to Waverly’s and sliding her tongue in to meet hers. 

Waverly twisted her hands into the short hair at the back of Nicole’s neck as she returned the kiss fiercely, a quiet moan escaping. She didn’t know who broke the kiss but they were both breathless, staring into each other’s eyes, neither wanting to break the moment. 

Eventually Nicole slid her hands up to link them with Waverly’s and said in a low voice, “Okay, I think we need to go now, or we might not leave the tent.” 

“That does sound appealing, but we do have monster hunting to do,” Waverly laughed.

Waverly couldn’t help but let out a small squeal of excitement when she caught her first glimpse of the famous Loch Ness, its dark water strangely imposing.

They followed the loch for a stretch before heading away to visit the village of Drumnadrochit, which Nicole had chosen partly because she knew Waverly would love the name. 

They stopped for tea and a stroll around before heading back, taking a detour to visit Castle Urquhart, which sat in ruined splendour on the banks of the loch. Waverly had read about the prominent role it played in the wars of independence, and enjoyed telling Nicole stories of its past. 

Just before 5pm, they were boarding a small boat kitted out with sonar equipment, and Waverly was having trouble containing her excitement. Logically, she knew that there was no such thing as the Loch Ness Monster, but that didn’t stop her hanging on the guides’ every word as they explained that the loch was the largest in the country and got its dark water from the high concentration of peat in the soil. 

They went below deck to look at the screens hooked up to the sonar, Waverly almost desperate to see something unusual. They were out for around an hour, and although, sadly, Nessie did not appear, Waverly thoroughly enjoyed herself. As they cruised back to shore, Waverly joined Nicole on deck and tucked herself into her side as they watched the evening sun play on the dark surface of the water. 

As they walked hand in hand back to the car, Waverly’s head was full of everything she’d seen that day, and she was filled with an almost overwhelming affection for the woman next to her. 

“What are you smiling at, pretty girl?” Nicole asked, with a smile of her own. 

“You. I’ve had an amazing day.” 

“I’m glad. You know what’s going to make it better? Dinner!” 

“What are we having?” 

“Sausages, of course. It’s not camping if you don’t have sausages on the stove,” she laughed. 

True to her word, when they got back to the campsite, Nicole set up the stove and soon had a pan full of sausages cooking whilst Waverly busied herself buttering the soft bread rolls they’d brought and unpacking all of the accompaniments. 

As she polished off her second roll with two sausages, Waverly looked up to find Nicole grinning at her. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“I guess you enjoyed my cooking?” 

“Yeah yeah, whatever. I was just hungry,” Waverly grumbled, scrunching up her napkin and throwing it at Nicole. 

After they had washed up and packed everything away, Nicole suggested a walk into the village for a drink. They found a choice of two pubs and chose the one that seemed to be less busy with tourists. They struck up a conversation with the woman serving at the bar, and on her recommendation, tried some malts. 

Both tired after a long and busy day, they made their way back in the dark to the campsite, not drunk but pleasantly warmed by the whisky. As they walked, huddled together in the brisk night air, Waverly pointed out all of the constellations visible in the clear sky, not aware that Nicole spent more time looking at her face than at the stars above.

Back at the campsite, a few couples and groups were sitting outside their tents, and they could hear hushed conversations and some quiet music. 

Nicole quickly set about making some tea while Waverly got their bedding set up inside the tent, adding a bonus blanket that she had brought just in case. 

They sat outside, huddling together, until they’d finished their tea, and cleaned up again before they took it in turns to use the site facilities to go through their pre-bedtime routines. 

By the time Nicole stepped into the tent and secured it behind her, Waverly was already ready for bed, dressed in sweatpants and long sleeves to ward off the cold.

Nicole found her pyjamas and began to change, her height making it awkward in the confined space. 

Waverly crawled into the sleeping bag and tried not to stare, or at least be caught staring, as Nicole stripped off her jeans and pulled on a pair a flannel bottoms. Her t-shirt soon followed, replaced by a sleep shirt, and as Waverly watched, she reached behind her to unhook her bra and pulled it through a sleeve, dropping it next to her clothes. 

Waverly’s breath caught in her throat at the sight and a familiar tension settled low in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t realise that she’d made a sound until Nicole looked back over her shoulder, and from the cocked eyebrow and smirk, she knew exactly what had just happened. 

Waverly watched, the nervous tension building, as Nicole crawled over to join her in the sleeping bag, zipping it up behind her and cocooning them in their own little world. They lay facing each other, almost touching, and Nicole whispered, “Hi.” 

“Hi yourself.” 

“Sleepy?” 

“Suddenly, not so much,” Waverly replied, reaching out a hand to stroke down the other woman’s cheek. The slight tremble she felt set off that feeling again and she closed the distance between them. 

What started off as sweet and gentle soon turned heated, lips moving hungrily against each other and tongues tangling together. The air was filled with the sounds of short breaths and soft whimpers as they moved impossibly closer. 

Waverly hesitantly moved her hands to the hem of Nicole’s shirt and slid them under, meeting soft, warm skin over strong muscle. In response, Nicole ran her hand down Waverly’s side to grasp her hip and in one movement, hitched Waverly’s leg up over her own hip, nudging her thigh between the smaller woman’s. 

At the feeling of pressure right where she needed it, Waverly couldn’t stop the moan that fell from her lips. 

“Shh Waves, we need to be quiet,” Nicole pulled back to look at her, eyes dark with desire. Waverly responded by slipping her hand further under Nicole’s shirt, tracing a pattern up the side of her ribs, and pulling her back into the kiss. When her thumb softly brushed the underside of Nicole’s breast, they both stilled at the contact. 

With a careful movement, Nicole rolled onto her back, pulling Waverly with her to straddle her thigh. Waverly threw her head back and whimpered at the increased pressure on her core and ground down harder before she realised what she was doing. She stopped, embarrassed, and dropped her head to Nicole’s shoulder, panting heavily. 

Nicole moved her hands to Waverly’s hips and bent her knee more to raise her thigh, and used her hands to encourage Waverly to start moving again. When Waverly raised her head to meet her eyes, the redhead whispered, “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” 

That was all the encouragement that she needed to resume her movements, rolling her hips in a way that made her feel so deeply. She knew that she wouldn’t last long, and she knew that her underwear was ruined, but she couldn’t bring herself to care when everything felt so intense. 

Through the fog, she realised that her hand was still under Nicole’s shirt, pressing against her ribs, and she moved it up to cup her breast fully. As she brushed her thumb across her nipple, feeling it harden under her touch, Nicole moaned softly and arched up into her touch. Her hips canted up in a way that had Waverly groaning into her mouth as she felt another flood of arousal soak her underwear. 

As Waverly continued to chase her climax, her hips set a more frantic pace and she buried her face in Nicole’s neck, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to the exposed skin. 

“Nicole... I’m so close... I’m going to...” she stuttered out, almost incoherent, and Nicole rolled her hips up, connecting them in a way that had Waverly unraveling above her. Waverly bit down on her bottom lip to stop from crying out as she tumbled over the edge, her movements gradually slowing until she let her full weight fall on top of the other woman. 

Nicole gently ran her hands up and down her back, helping her come down from her high, and whispered, “You okay, Waves?” 

“How did you do that? You barely touched me and I still came so hard,” Waverly let out an incredulous chuckle. 

“Happy to help. That was so hot.” 

Waverly raised her head to kiss Nicole on the jaw, and run an exploratory hand down between her breasts. 

“Did you, uh... I mean, do you need...” she struggled to articulate her question as she realised she had no idea what to do next. 

“Nah, I’m good. Let’s just go to sleep.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Trust me, that was pretty damn good for me too,” she chuckled, nuzzling Waverly’s disheveled hair. Waverly shifted her weight and turned on her side, scooting back against Nicole, who immediately draped an arm across her stomach and pulled her closer as they drifted off to sleep with a mumbled, “Goodnight.”

Waverly woke to the unfamiliar feeling of a warm body curled behind her, a hand flat against her stomach under her shirt. As the events of last night came back to her, she squirmed in place, not from embarrassment this time but with pleasure. 

Trying not to disturb Nicole, she wriggled around to face her, the other woman’s face relaxed and beautiful in sleep, steady breaths falling from her parted lips. 

Waverly couldn’t resist snuggling closer, slipping an arm around Nicole’s waist and under her shirt to rest on the soft skin of her back. Nicole stirred and cracked one eye open, and when she saw Waverly looking back at her, a slow, sleepy smile spread across her face. “Watching me sleep?” she teased, her voice low and husky from sleep. 

Waverly thought she’d never heard anything more attractive, and pressed forward to kiss her on the nose. 

“Yep.” 

“Creep.” 

They both laughed softly as they snuggled closer, and Waverly let out a deep, contented sigh. She let her hand drift lower, tracing circles on Nicole’s back until she reached the edge of her pants and dipped beneath. 

“What are you up to?” Nicole whispered, and Waverly didn’t miss the hitch in her voice. 

“Nothing,” she replied innocently, as her hand moved lower still, over the swell of that perfect behind. Waverly let out a small squeak as Nicole rolled them in one smooth movement so that she was pinning her tormenter to the ground. 

No sooner had their mouths met in a hungry kiss than a child’s crying started up somewhere in the camp, joined just a moment later by a dog barking. 

Nicole moved to sit up with a groan, “Talk about killing the mood, huh?” 

“I told you I didn’t want to camp,” Waverly laughed. 

“Lucky we’ve got a room tonight,” Nicole flashed a devilish smile, “so hold on to that thought.”

After a quick breakfast of the remaining sausages - at Nicole’s insistence - and a couple of coffees, they dismantled the tent, packed the car again and were back on the road for 9am.

Their destination was Bridge of Orchy, a village a couple of hours away, but they had decided to give themselves the full day to get there so they could stop along the way. 

Like the previous day, Waverly was awestruck by the scenery as they passed through woods and glens, skirted the banks of several lochs and wound their way along mountain roads. 

As they approached the town of Fort William, Nicole pointed out Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the country, the summit of which was hidden by low cloud. 

“So you’ve climbed it?” 

“In the first month I was in Scotland, and quite a few times since,” Nicole replied, with a cocky smile. 

“Of course you have. You’ve spent a lot of time up here?” 

“Yeah, lots of field trips for my course, there’s so much to study here. Lots of climbing and hiking, which suited me just fine.” 

“You’re a regular all-action woman, aren’t you?” Waverly teased, and laughed as Nicole took her hand off the wheel to flex her bicep. 

“That’s me. I grew up doing stuff like that, my parents and I were always spending weekends outdoors, and here, there’s so much to see.” 

Although Waverly enjoyed their stroll around Fort William, she was most excited for their next stop, Glencoe. She had lost herself in histories of the Jacobite Rebellion hundreds of years before and was particularly struck by the tragic story of the massacre of Glencoe. 

As they approached the pass, Waverly sat forward in her seat, trying to take in everything around her. They followed the dipping, winding road through the pass, craggy, ominous peaks rising on both sides, lending the area a slightly foreboding, almost oppressive feel. 

Waverly didn’t say anything until they passed through the other side and Nicole pulled the car into a rough parking area. 

“So...?” Nicole asked, breaking the spell. 

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever had that feeling from a place before,” she breathed. 

“I always find it strange how dark it gets there, even on the brightest day.” 

“It’s so bleakly beautiful. So much history and tragedy, you can feel all of it.” 

They took some essentials from the car and headed back towards the main road on foot so Waverly could experience it again in a different way. The area was popular with hillwalkers and climbers but they didn’t have the appropriate equipment so they didn’t stray far from the road. Waverly took lots of photos although she knew she would never be able to capture the feel of the place. 

They worked up an appetite after walking for an hour, so their next stop was for food a few towns away. After another two stops, their meandering journey finally came to an end in Bridge of Orchy and they pulled up in front of a large stone cottage just before 5pm. 

On checking in, they were delighted to find out that they’d been given the annexe rather than a room in the main house, and more excited when they saw it. 

The room was dominated by a large bed with fluffy pillows and a tartan bedspread, along with two deep armchairs facing a fireplace. The bathroom contained a large free standing claw foot tub, and Waverly immediately claimed it for a soak later. 

After a walk around the village and a meal in a cosy pub, they were back in their room and Waverly surprised Nicole by producing a bottle of champagne. 

“Where did that come from?” 

“I brought it. I felt like we should celebrate.” 

“Celebrate what?” 

Waverly shrugged, “Everything. Meeting, getting to know each other. The best weekend I’ve had in a long time.” 

She popped the cork to pour it into the glasses Nicole had found and before they drank, the redhead said “To us, then. Sláinte.” 

As they clinked glasses, Waverly said, “I learned another few word of Gaelic. Sláinte, neach-gaoil.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“Something like sweetheart,” Waverly told her and leaned forward to kiss her, as she felt Nicole smile into it. 

As Nicole sorted out some of their things for the night, Waverly went to fill the bath, adding enough of the scented bubble bath to create a deep froth. She lit a few of the candles dotted around before beginning to undress. 

She’d left the door slightly ajar, knowing that Nicole would be too respectful to come in unless she asked her, which she definitely planned to do. 

Once she’d settled herself into the deliciously hot bath, everything but her head and shoulders immersed below the sea of bubbles, she called through, “Nicole?” 

“Yeah Waves?” 

“Could you bring the champagne in please? And the glasses?” 

Nicole appeared a moment later, carefully averting her eyes until she realised that Waverly was mostly covered, and set her refilled glass down within her reach. 

“There you go. Need anything else?” she asked. 

Taking a deep breath so her voice didn’t shake, Waverly replied, “Yes. Join me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and I appreciate you taking the time to comment :) This has been fun to write and I think I’ll be a little sad when the adventure ends :(


	7. I want to

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night of firsts, followed by a morning of talking. Is this the end of Waverly and Nicole’s adventures...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter! Now, where did we leave them...?

“In the bath?” Nicole asked in surprise, then silently berated herself for asking such a silly question.

“In the bath,” Waverly looked up at her through her lashes.

“Are you sure there’s enough room?” Nicole wasn’t sure why she was trying to give Waverly a reason to change her mind. 

“Plenty, look at the size of this tub,” Waverly raised her arm to indicate the space at the opposite end. “Plus, champagne and candles?”

Well, when you put it like that...” Nicole made up her mind, bending down to pull off her socks first. She began to undress slowly, aware that Waverly was watching her closely, and also very aware that they had never seen each other naked before. Even though Waverly was naked at that moment, she at least had the protection of the bubble bath. 

Nicole didn’t want to risk overwhelming Waverly by going too fast, so she deliberately took her time, slipping out of her t-shirt and unbuttoning her jeans before sliding them down her legs. She could feel Waverly’s eyes travel over the newly revealed skin, and despite being confident in her body, she couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious. 

She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on Waverly as she reached around to unhook her bra and let it slide down her arms and off. She pushed her underwear past her hips and down her legs, stepping out of them and finally revealing herself fully to the woman in front of her. 

Waverly held out a hand to her, and as she stepped closer, she looked up and down the full length of her body and breathed... “You... are amazing.” 

Nicole leaned down to place a soft kiss on her forehead before she stepped carefully into the tub. After some manoeuvring, she was settled at the opposite end of the bath, long legs stretched alongside Waverly’s. 

She was sure that Waverly must be able to hear her heart beating it was so loud in her own ears, and she took a gulp of her champagne in an effort to relax. 

Waverly tipped her head back against the edge of the tub and sighed, “This is perfect. The best way to end this amazing weekend.” 

“End? Oh, this is far from the end,” Nicole smirked, some of her usual confidence returning. Waverly raised her head to meet her eyes and they gazed steadily at each other, both feeling the heavy tension in the air between them. 

Waverly’s hand found Nicole’s knee under the water and she trailed her fingers down to her ankle and back up as they chatted idly and enjoyed their champagne. As the water began to cool, their conversation tailed off and Nicole noticed that Waverly was shivering a little. 

“Time to get out?” she asked, and Waverly nodded in reply, so Nicole stood and stepped out of the bath, a little less gracefully than she’d hoped. She quickly wrapped a towel around herself and held the other one up for Waverly. 

“Do you... should I go next door?” Nicole asked, seeing that Waverly looked a little unsure. She shook her head, biting her lip, then stood up in one fluid movement and stepped out of the bath and into the towel that Nicole was holding. 

Nicole automatically wrapped her arms around her, pulling the towel tighter around her to stave off the shivering. Waverly relaxed into the embrace, laying her head on Nicole’s shoulder and letting out a soft sigh. 

Nicole gently rubbed her shoulders through the towel, then moved her hands lower, using soft movements across Waverly’s back to dry her skin under the towel. 

When Nicole pulled back a little, Waverly was looking at her with eyes dark with desire, a look which sent a flood of heat straight to her centre. Nicole moved her hands to the edge of the towel and whispered, “Can I?” 

Waverly hesitated for a second before she nodded and replied, “Please.” 

Nicole let the towel fall open and she would have sworn that her heart stopped when she properly saw Waverly naked for the first time. So much defined muscle in her lithe dancer’s body, a perfect mix of flat planes and soft curves. 

Nicole took the towel and began gently drying off the droplets of water still clinging to Waverly’s skin. She moved across the swell of her breasts, noticing how her nipples began to harden, and moved downwards, the defined muscles of Waverly’s stomach visibly twitching under her touch. 

Nicole dropped to her knees, looking up to Waverly for permission which was quickly granted, careful to let only the towel touch her as she brushed over the neatly trimmed curls at the apex of her thighs, and down over the strong muscles of her legs. 

Despite what had happened the previous night, this was by far the most intimate thing they’d done, and Nicole found herself almost unbearably turned on after barely touching the other woman. 

When she stood back up, she moved to wrap the towel back around Waverly, but she stopped her, saying “No need for that.” 

Waverly’s hand trembled slightly as she reached up to unfasten Nicole’s towel, and a moment later, they were bare to each other. Nicole traced a trail from Waverly’s cheek, across her neck and the pronounced line of collarbone, and down her arm, finally grasping her hand to lead her through to other room. 

Nicole sat on the bed, and after staring intently at her for a beat, Waverly sat next to her and interlaced their fingers. Nicole angled her body to face her and began, “Waves, we don’t have to do anything, okay? Just because we’re here, and there’s a bed-“ 

“And we’re naked?” Waverly smiled. 

“And we’re naked - so distractingly naked - doesn’t mean we have to do anything.” 

“I want to. God, I want to,” Waverly dropped her eyes to their hands as her breathing became shallower. 

“Talk to me, Waverly. I need to know you’re okay.” 

“I am so much more than okay. It’s just... I don’t really know how... I mean, I’ve never done this before,” Waverly’s voice trailed off. 

“Last night would say otherwise,” Nicole smiled, trying to get Waverly to look at her. 

“I’m just nervous. This is all new to me, I don’t know what I’m doing.” 

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m nervous too,” Nicole admitted. 

Waverly looked up in surprise and said, “You are? But you’ve done this before.” 

“Sure, but not with you. You’re new to me, and I want this to be good for you.” 

“Honestly, I can’t imagine how it couldn’t be,” Waverly managed a slightly shaky smile. 

“We’re going to go really slowly, okay? Anything you don’t like, tell me straight away. We stop any time you want, okay?” 

“Okay,” Waverly whispered, reaching up to cup Nicole’s cheek, pulling her closer into a kiss. The kiss deepened, tongues seeking and gaining entrance, hands tangling in hair, until they had to break apart for air. 

Waverly crawled back on the bed until she was propped up against the pillows and Nicole followed, hovering above Waverly until she pulled her back into another heated kiss, tugging on the short hair at the back of her neck. 

Nicole settled more firmly between Waverly’s thighs, and she gasped as she felt the wet heat of Waverly’s centre against her skin for the first time. Deepening the kiss, she slowly dragged her hand down across Waverly’s collarbone until she was cupping the soft swell of her breast. She swiped the pad of her thumb across her nipple, feeling it harden under her touch and her own arousal grow deeper at the reaction. 

She left a final soft kiss on Waverly’s lips as she followed a path down her jaw, her neck and further, down her chest until she reached her other nipple. Taking Waverly’s soft whimpers as encouragement, she took the hardening nub between her lips and flicked gently with her tongue. 

She mirrored her actions with her hand on Waverly’s other breast, feeling the other woman cant her hips up, painting her arousal low on Nicole’s stomach. She felt a fluttering in her own centre at the sensation and squeezed her thighs together, searching for any friction to ease the ache there. 

Coming back to herself, she raised her head to look at Waverly, who had her head pressed back against the pillow and her eyes squeezed shut. 

“Is this okay?” she murmured, looking for permission to go further. 

“Yes... amazing... God, Nicole,” she stuttered between shallow breaths. 

Nicole placed her hand low on Waverly’s stomach, fingertips just grazing the soft curls, and asked, “Can I...?” 

“If you don’t I might explode,” Waverly moaned, and Nicole chuckled softly as she captured her lips in a sweet kiss. She kept her face close to Waverly’s, studying her reaction as she slid her hand lower, letting out a low moan as she found the slick arousal pooled there. 

“Jesus, Waves, so wet... You feel so amazing.” Her hips lifted off the bed at the first contact, seeking more, and Nicole obliged by running two fingers through her folds, circling her entrance before tracing lightly over her hardened clit. 

Waverly gasped and threw her head back and Nicole continued a steady pattern, fingers working dextrously against her, careful not to linger too long where she was most sensitive. 

She used her other hand to brush Waverly’s hair away from the sheen of sweat that was forming on her forehead, and joined their lips once more. 

She stilled her hand with her fingers circling gently around her entrance, and waited until Waverly broke the kiss and opened her eyes. 

Nicole was breathing heavily as she asked “Inside?” 

“Please... please,” Waverly replied, grasping onto Nicole’s upper arm. Smoothly, she eased her middle finger into the delicious velvety heat, adding her index finger after several gentle thrusts. 

She could feel Waverly begin to clench around her already, and the fingers around her arm began to dig in harder as quiet whimpers escaped her lips. 

“Still with me?” Nicole checked. 

“Uhh... so good... don’t stop,” Waverly urged, moving her hips in time with Nicole’s thrusts. Seeing the urgency in Waverly’s movements, Nicole knew she was getting close and increased the pace of her thrusts, twisting her fingers slightly on every withdrawal, and used her thumb to draw a delicate circle around her clit. 

Waverly moaned loudly and crashed her lips to Nicole’s, drawing her into a messy, urgent kiss as the feeling began to overtake her. 

Nicole felt the clenching of the hot walls around her fingers and slowed her pace a little, trying to prolong the sensation for the other woman and helping her to ride it out. 

She held herself on one elbow, eyes fixed on the woman below her as she fell apart and gradually came back to herself, eyes glassy when she finally opened them. 

“Fuck,” she finally managed to get out. 

“Yep,” Nicole smirked, earning a breathy chuckle from Waverly. 

“That was... I don’t even know what that was.” 

“Good?” 

“You don’t need to ask that, do you?” 

“Not really,” Nicole smiled, slowly moving the fingers still buried deep inside Waverly and grinning wider at the wanton moan it produced. 

“Not too much?” she asked. 

“I don’t think it could ever be too much.” 

“Good, because we’re not finished yet,” Nicole whispered, starting to plant a line of kisses down Waverly’s torso, her own arousal growing with every twitch of her muscles. 

When she reached her hips, she looked up at Waverly, and when she exhaled, “Touch me,” she ran her tongue in a broad stroke from where her fingers were up to her clit. Still sensitive from her orgasm, Waverly groaned loudly and lifted her hips from the bed. 

It didn’t take much more than a few swipes of her tongue and gently grazing her clit before Waverly was coming again, harder than before, winding her hand into Nicole’s hair almost painfully. 

Nicole carefully withdrew her fingers and rubbed comforting circles on Waverly’s abdomen as she gently lapped at her centre, catching the arousal that had spilled as she came. 

As the quivering gradually stopped, Nicole made her way back up Waverly’s body but before she reached her face, Waverly threw her arm over her face and turned into the pillow, her shoulders shaking. 

“Waves, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Nicole was immediately concerned. 

Waverly shook her head but didn’t move her arm, so Nicole lay next to her, not wanting to crowd her. After a moment, Waverly turned to face her and Nicole could see the tracks of tears on her face. 

“Baby, what is it? Are you okay?” she asked, brushing her thumb over her cheek. 

“I am so much better than okay. That was so amazing, I just got a bit overwhelmed I think. I never knew it could feel like that,” she sniffed, and Nicole pulled her into a tight embrace, stroking her hair. 

When Waverly pulled back, she said with a weak chuckle, “Well, that was embarrassing.” 

“What’s embarrassing?” 

“Crying after sex. Way to kill the mood.” 

“Waves, you never have to be embarrassed about the way you feel. I think it’s beautiful that you felt so strongly. And for what it’s worth, it certainly didn’t kill the mood for me,” Nicole told her sincerely. 

Waverly studied her for a moment before she pushed at her shoulder until she lay on her back, then she threw a leg over her hips to straddle her. 

“Just how did you get to be so perfect, Nicole Haught? You always know exactly what to say,” she said, leaning over to kiss both cheeks then her lips. 

Nicole’s hands came up to rest on Waverly’s hips as she laughed lightly, “Funny, I feel like a mumbling mess most of the time I’m around you.” 

Waverly cocked an eyebrow and said, “Let’s see what we can do about that.” She began to draw both hands down Nicole’s torso, stopping to cup her breasts, and Nicole tried to stop herself from arching up into her touch. 

She watched, feeling light-headed with desire, as Waverly explored, painting circles around her nipples with feather light touches of her fingertips. When she lowered her head to capture a nipple in her warm, wet mouth, Nicole couldn’t hold back the groan that rumbled in her chest. She squeezed her thighs together, aware of how wet she was and the pressure building low in her core, as Waverly moved her attention to her other breast. 

When she sat back and began to move her hand across the flat plane of her stomach and lower, Nicole caught her wrist. 

In response to her questioning look, Nicole said, in as steady a voice as she could manage, “You don’t have to.” 

“I know. I want to,” Waverly replied simply. 

“Only if you’re sure. No pressure, remember?” 

“You just gave me probably the two best orgasms of my life. It’s definitely your turn,” Waverly smiled down at her. 

“That’s not how it works. I’m just happy that you’ve had a good time.” 

“A good time? That was so much more than that. I want to make you feel as good. I just... ah... I, I don’t really know what to do,” she admitted sheepishly. 

“Sure you do. Honestly Waves, I’m so turned on already.” 

Looking a little uncertain, Waverly offered up her hand and asked, “Show me?” 

Nicole laced her fingers with Waverly’s and moved their joined hands down between her legs, and they both gasped at how wet she was. 

“Wow. For me?” Waverly asked, a look of wonder on her face. 

“All you. You have no idea what you do to me, Waverly Earp.” 

“I think I do now,” she replied, with a devilish smile.

Nicole began to guide her movements, showing her how she liked to be touched, avoiding too much direct contact to her clit because she knew she wouldn’t last long if she touched her like that. 

Waverly was soon touching her with confidence so she withdrew her own hand, dropping it to her side to clutch the sheets. 

When Waverly teased a finger around her entrance and asked, “Can I?”, Nicole quickly nodded her assent and shivered with pleasure when she felt a careful finger push inside. 

Knowing she was more than ready, she pleaded, “More, baby,” and moaned as Waverly immediately added a second finger and thrust deep. She could feel the tension in the pit of her stomach beginning to unravel, and when Waverly pressed a thumb to her clit, she tumbled over the edge, the suddenness of her orgasm surprising them both. 

Waverly instinctively continued her movements, building her up again until her walls were clenching tightly around her fingers and she came with a cry. This time, Waverly gently withdrew her fingers and used her other hand to brush the damp hair from Nicole’s face. 

“Holy hell, Waverly. No way that was the first time you’ve done that,” she panted, trying to collect herself. 

“Guess I’m a fast learner. Watching you come like that was so hot. Why haven’t we been doing this for the past month?” 

Nicole let out a real laugh at that, gathering the smaller woman to her. “We’re idiots, that’s why.” 

“When we get back to Edinburgh tomorrow we’re spending the day in your bed.” 

“Are we now? Who says we have to wait till tomorrow?” Nicole teased, but she could see that Waverly was on the verge of sleep. 

“Give me five minutes,” her reply was muffled as she snuggled further into Nicole, who managed to pull the bedspread over them. Five minutes later, they were both sound asleep.

Nicole awoke early the next morning with Waverly’s long hair tickling her nose as she turned in her arms, wriggling so that her back was pressed into Nicole. 

Nicole followed, draping an arm across her stomach and rising slightly to see that Waverly’s eyes were half open. 

“Morning,” Nicole murmured, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. 

“Mmm, good morning. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Waverly replied, voice thick with sleep. 

“It’s okay. What time is it?” 

Waverly leaned over to pick up her phone to check and before she put it back down, Nicole saw that her lock screen photo was one of the pair of them from the weekend before, the same photo currently displayed on Nicole’s own phone. 

“It’s only 7.30, we don’t need to get up for a while,” Waverly said, moving back closer to Nicole and pressing down where their hips met, and Nicole instinctively rolled her hips up to push back. 

“Nice phone photo,” she teased, moving her hand up Waverly’s ribcage to cup her breast. 

“Ohhh! What can I say, I look hot in it,” Waverly tried to laugh. 

Nicole pressed a few kisses on the soft skin behind her ear and said, “I think you look hotter now.” 

Waverly turned back to face her and Nicole took in the flush spreading up from her chest, her perfect jawline, upturned mouth and sparkling hazel eyes, pupils already dilated. 

“You’re so beautiful, baby,” Nicole had no power to stop herself pulling her into a searing kiss. 

Half an hour later they were sprawled side by side on the bed, skin flushed and sticky with their exertion, heavy breathing the only sound. 

Waverly was the first to collect herself and said quietly, almost too quietly for Nicole to hear, “I wish this didn’t have to end.” 

“This? Sweaty morning sex? Or this weekend?” Nicole asked with a smile, propping herself up to see Waverly better. 

“This, us, all of it. I have to go home tomorrow and it’s almost over.” 

Nicole thought she could detect a hint of tears in her voice, and she was having trouble meeting her eyes. “It’s okay Waves, we’ve still got time,” she tried to reassure her, rubbing a gentle line up and down her arm. 

Waverly sat up and said, “I can’t believe I found you half the world away and now it has to end.” 

This was the moment Nicole had been waiting for; she took a steadying breath and asked softly, “What if it didn’t have to?” 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what if I moved back to Toronto?”

Nicole watched Waverly closely for her reaction, nervous now that she had finally told her what she intended to do. 

When Waverly’s only response was to stare at her, Nicole suddenly felt very exposed, and got up from the bed. 

“What are you doing?” 

“I feel like we can’t have this conversation naked,” Nicole replied, pulling on a pair of sweats and a hoodie and finding the same for Waverly. 

When they were both dressed, they sat facing each other in the armchairs and Nicole started, “So what do you think?” 

“We’ve only known each other a month, Nicole, you can’t do that just for me.” 

“I hate to break it to you Waves, but it’s not all about you,” Nicole said, her teasing tone and warm smile telling Waverly that she wasn’t entirely serious. 

“Haha. Are you taking the graduate place?” 

“I spoke to them on Friday and accepted it.” 

“And why did you wait till now to share this?” 

“Honestly, I was nervous of your reaction. If you weren’t keen on the idea, I didn’t want it to ruin the weekend.” 

“Why wouldn’t I like the idea? I just told you I didn’t want this to end,” Waverly asked incredulously. 

“I didn’t know that though. I mean, do people generally want their holiday romances following them home?” The hurt expression on Waverly’s face immediately told Nicole she had said the wrong thing. 

“A holiday romance? Is that what this was to you?” she asked. 

“No, never! I thought that’s what you wanted, so I went along with it because I just wanted to spend time with you.” 

“Why would you think that?” 

“Well, Chrissy said that a summer fling was just what you needed. It wasn’t what I wanted but I thought it was the only way I could be with you,” Nicole admitted.

“Chrissy. Of course. Wait till I see her.” 

“She didn’t do it intentionally Waverly, and I should have spoken to you about it rather than her.” 

“Yes, you should have. I’m sorry you thought that,” Waverly said, concern clear in her eyes. 

“It’s okay. I don’t want to pressure you into anything, I know that this is all different for you.” 

“What is?” 

“Being with a woman. I didn’t want you to feel that me being in Toronto means we have to be a thing. I would never ask you to do anything that you’re not comfortable with,” Nicole told her sincerely. 

“I know, you’ve been nothing but respectful. In fact, if I hadn’t kissed you I doubt you’d ever have made a move,” she said, and they both laughed before she continued, “I know it might get harder, but right now, it doesn’t feel like that big a deal. All my friends here know about you, and I told my sister we’d been seeing each other.” 

“Wynonna? You did? What did she say?” Nicole was surprised to hear that Waverly had already talked to her sister about her. 

“She was totally cool with it. She’ll make fun of me, of course, but she’d do that about anyone. The only other opinion I care about is my aunt’s, and I know she’ll be happy that I’ve found someone so good.” 

Nicole felt tears spring to her eyes at that sentiment, hearing Waverly so confident about how she’d deal with a brand new relationship with a woman. 

She blinked them away and said, “That’s awesome, Waverly. I’m so glad you feel like that. Forcing you to come out, or however you want to describe it, is the last thing I’d want to do.” 

“I know. What about your parents, what do they think?” 

“I haven’t told them yet, I wanted you to be the first to know. They knew it was probably going to happen and I think they’re actually really happy I’m coming back,” Nicole smiled as she thought about their last conversation. 

“That’s great. It sounds like you really want to reconnect with them.” 

“I do. Coming to Scotland five years ago was kind of running away, and I’ve spent that time avoiding things. I’m a different person now and I know I can deal with these things now.” 

“You’re an amazing person, Nicole. I feel so lucky to have met you, thank God I asked you for directions that day,” she laughed. 

“I feel the same. I’m so glad you came into my life, you’ve made me look at things in a different way. I know I said my decision to come home wasn’t all about you, but I’d be lying if I said you weren’t a big part of it.” 

At that, Waverly closed the distance between, climbing onto Nicole’s lap to wrap her in a tight embrace. They were silent for a moment before Waverly asked, “So when are you coming home? How about tomorrow?” 

Nicole laughed and said, “Sorry baby, I don’t think I’ll manage that. The placement doesn’t start until January and I have things to tie up here so it might be a few months before I get back.” 

Nicole could only laugh at Waverly’s adorable pout. “Aww, but that’s so long.” 

“I know, but we’ll speak all the time, okay? I won’t be away any longer than I have to,” Nicole hesitated before adding, “And I know it’s a long time and this is all really new and a lot can happen in a few months, but, wait for me?” 

“As long as it takes. I’ve fallen pretty hard for you, Nicole Haught,” Waverly told her seriously. 

“The feeling is very mutual,” Nicole smiled happily, pulling her into a joyful kiss, full of promise.

Despite the knowledge that they would soon have to part still hanging over them, their drive back to Edinburgh was happy, full of laughter and singing along to Waverly’s road trip playlist. As they were approaching Waverly’s flat, she turned to Nicole and said, “I wasn’t joking last night when I said we were spending this afternoon in your bed.” 

Nicole glanced at her quickly before turning her eyes back to the road. “What about packing? Don’t you need to get ready to leave?” 

“I’ll do it later. I want to make the most of the time we have.” 

“Well, I’m not going to say no to that” Nicole grinned, taking a turn to head to her flat instead. 

They spent the afternoon wrapped up in each other, exploring each other’s bodies further, an afternoon during which Nicole discovered that Waverly really was a quick learner and a very keen student. 

They had already agreed to say goodbye in private in the morning, so they arranged when to meet before Nicole saw Waverly off to finish her packing. 

She wandered in the living room and was surprised to find Cameron there, reading while Rory slept at his feet. 

“Oh, I didn’t realise you were here.” 

“I know. I figured you were busy when I came in,” he smirked at her. 

“Please say you didn’t hear...” Nicole groaned, ducking her head. 

“Only a little when I walked past your room. That’s why this door was shut.” 

Nicole groaned again and flopped down on the sofa, burying her face in a cushion. 

“No need to ask how your weekend was then,” he teased, then asked more seriously, “Are you okay though? I know this is Waverly’s last day.” 

“Um, yeah, kinda. Cam, I need to tell you something.” 

“You didn’t elope, did you? Wait, are you pregnant?” 

“Don’t be an asshole. That makes it a lot easier to tell you that I’m going back to Toronto.” 

“You are? When?” he asked in surprise. 

“I don’t know yet. I’ve accepted that job, I start in January but I’ll be going before that.” 

Cameron was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, “That must have been some mind blowing sex this weekend.” 

“You’re gross. I won’t miss you at all,” Nicole said, throwing the cushion at him. 

“Oh, you know you will. I’ll miss you,” he told her, being sincere for once. 

“Okay, maybe I will. I won’t be going just yet though, I have a lot of things to sort out first.” 

“Well, good for you. I’m happy that Waverly has given you a reason to go home.” 

“It’s not just about Waverly,” she was quick to reply. 

“Sure Haught, whatever you say.”

Later that evening, Nicole was getting ready for bed when her phone pinged with a message from Waverly.

**Hey, are you still up?**  
**Yep, just getting ready for bed. All packed and ready?**  
**All done. Can I come over? I want to see you**  
**Of course. Want me to come meet you?**  
**I’m just around the corner. Be there in a minute**

Nicole laughed to herself and pulled on a pair of sneakers before slipping out of the flat and downstairs to meet Waverly. 

When they met at the door, Nicole opened her arms for her and Waverly came straight into them. 

“Everything okay Waves?” she asked, pulling back to look at her. 

“I just wanted to see you again. Can I stay tonight?” she asked quietly. 

“There’s nothing I’d like more than to hold you all night. I’m not ready to let you go just yet,” Nicole admitted, taking Waverly’s hand to lead her upstairs and into her bedroom.

Waverly stayed as long as possible in the morning but eventually, inevitably, it was time to say goodbye. 

Nicole walked with her downstairs but Waverly wouldn’t let her accompany her any further, preferring to say their goodbyes in private. Nicole turned to face Waverly and took both of her hands; she knew that the tears threatening to spill from the other woman’s eyes were mirrored in her own. 

“Let me know when you get home, okay? I’ll call you soon,” Nicole said. 

“Tomorrow?” Waverly asked. 

“Tomorrow. I’ll look forward to it all day.” 

After a moment’s silence, Waverly said, tearfully, “I don’t want to say goodbye.” 

“Then we won’t. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.” 

“Cheeseball,” Waverly huffed out a laugh through her tears, and Nicole joined her, tears and laughter mingling. 

Waverly clung to her for a moment then sighed, “I really do have to go.” 

“I know. I already can’t wait to see you again.” 

“Me too,” Waverly whispered, “but until then...” Their lips met in the softest kiss, full of everything that they couldn’t put into words, before Waverly turned and walked away. 

She looked back once and raised her hand in a wave, a gesture Nicole returned with a smile and a whispered, “See you, Waverly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe it’s finished! I toyed, for about 30 seconds, with the idea of keeping it a holiday romance, but who can resist the cheesy happy ending when it comes to these two?
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, for the kudos and the comments, I’ve loved reading them all and I’m so happy that people enjoyed the story. 
> 
> I’m tempted to add an epilogue if anyone’s interested, and I have a few ideas for one-shots to follow up. I just need to think of ways to bring them back to Scotland (I hear it’s very romantic for a honeymoon... ;)) - I’m open to suggestions!
> 
> Sláinte!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! I have plans for our favourite duo in Edinburgh, keep an eye out for where they get to go next....


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